If I understand this right the reason why pci_8086_284b_alsa_playback_1 didn't open is because alsa didn't define any device strings for it. I loaded snd-hda-intel like this which is the right jack configuration. options snd-hda-intel model=6stack-digout My SPDIF on hw:0,1 is missing from the following list. So it appears that the config files in /usr/share/alsa aren't building the right device strings. This looks even more messed up. The USB device is a mic on a camera, why is it in the aplay list and not in the arecord list? The record devices on my HDA hardware should be front mic, back mic, line in. The conclusion is that ALSA is not describing the devices correctly, right? Now I need to figure out why ALSA didn't get this right when I told it the jack setup on the module params, model=6stack-digout. The ALSA hw devices are right, it's these devices from the config files that are all wrong. root at terra:/usr/share/alsa# aplay -L front:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog Front speakers surround40:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers surround41:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers surround50:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers surround51:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers surround71:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers hdmi:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel HDMI Audio Output null Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture) front:CARD=U0x46d0x990,DEV=0 USB Device 0x46d:0x990, USB Audio Front speakers surround40:CARD=U0x46d0x990,DEV=0 USB Device 0x46d:0x990, USB Audio 4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers surround41:CARD=U0x46d0x990,DEV=0 USB Device 0x46d:0x990, USB Audio 4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers surround50:CARD=U0x46d0x990,DEV=0 USB Device 0x46d:0x990, USB Audio 5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers surround51:CARD=U0x46d0x990,DEV=0 USB Device 0x46d:0x990, USB Audio 5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers surround71:CARD=U0x46d0x990,DEV=0 USB Device 0x46d:0x990, USB Audio 7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers iec958:CARD=U0x46d0x990,DEV=0 USB Device 0x46d:0x990, USB Audio IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output aroot at terra:/usr/share/alsa# arecord -L front:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog Front speakers surround40:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers surround41:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers surround50:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers surround51:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers surround71:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Analog 7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers iec958:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel, STAC92xx Digital IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output hdmi:CARD=Intel,DEV=0 HDA Intel HDMI Audio Output null Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture) root at terra:/usr/share/alsa# -- Jon Smirl jonsmirl at gmail.com