Sound input problems on Shuttle SN68PTG5

[Mike Evans]

>>
> Have you tried removing pulse audio?  That really messed up my wife's
> system.
> 
> Regards,
> Les H
> 
Well I found a comment about Skype not running with Pulse so I used the 
pasuspender program to run Audacity.  It didn't help.  Do you think that 
will have been good enough?  Otherwise do you have any guidance on how 
to disable it and re-enable it?

Are there any really low-level programs or utilities I can use that get 
in below the alsa drivers even and talk straight to the hardware so I 
can check it out at that level?

Mike