Yes, alsactl store does work,. Sorry, I was referring to using a live CD or talking install. Once I get the volumes set, things work as they should, but on first boot of a new install, talking install or live CD of any kind, my sound starts muted, and this even happens on Ubuntu, where pulseaudio is supposed to be up and running by default. The soundblaster is the only card that does this, however. If I remove the soundblaster, the onboard soundcard seems to work just a bit better. I will probably be taking out the soundblaster soon, but I need to find the cover for its slot, since I seem to have misplaced it.
