$ system-config-soundcard Simple mixer control 'PCM',0 Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right Limits: Playback 0 - 31 Front Left: Playback 23 [74%] [on] Front Right: Playback 23 [74%] [on] Playing WAVE '/usr/share/system-config-soundcard/sound-sample.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo Warning: rate is not accurate (requested = 44100Hz, got = 48000Hz) please, try the plug plugin (-Dplug:hw:0,0) aplay: pcm_write:1115: write error: Input/output error Here I am running system-config-soundcard with system sound disabled in controlcenter. I can fix the 44.1khz problem if I enable sound in controlcenter, but then artsd goes nuts. BTW: I don't have alsaconfig installed on my machine, not that I can find. Google archives talk about it. I looked in the changelog and it appears to have been removed from later alsa versions. Am I correct on this ?