The error: ALSA lib pcm_hw.c:324:(snd_pcm_hw_hw_params) SNDRV_PCM_IOCTL_HW_PARAMS failed: Cannot allocate memory can be safely ignored in most cases. It is just the application trying to allocate more sources than there are free hardware resources to accomodate. This library can provide at most 21 sources. It may be more in the future. Less sources will the avaiable if another application is doing audio playback. If you are using UT2004 you can supress this message most of the time by modifying your ~/.ut2004/System/UT2004.ini as follows: [ALAudio.ALAudioSubsystem] Channels=20 If on a Soundblaster Live, in your ~/.openal-speakers you have volumes set for any more than the first two speakers you should manually zero the following mixer controls: Wave Surround Playback Volume Wave Center Playback Volume Wave LFE Playback Volume You may not need to do this on an Audigy or Audigy2 but I've not been able to test that.