Decided to do the "easier" option of re-installing the 2.6 kernel
without the onboard sound enabled.
> Now edit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base and at the bottom you can tell ALSA
> which module is the primary card by setting its index to 0. i.e. I have
> a Soundblaster Live! so I would use:
> 
> options snd_emu10k1 index=0
did this though using a dash rather than an underscore to keep the
syntax the same as other entries in the file.
> 
> After doing this, run "update-modules" and reboot, keeping your fingers
> crossed. All of the above is done as root or using sudo.
did this
> 
> After the reboot, before doing anything, run "alsamixer" as you. Make
> sure the Master and PCM channels are not muted, denoted by "MM" instead
> of "00" which means unmuted. alsamixer will also tell you what card and
> chip is being used in the top left corner. Pressing Escape will quit
> alsamixer. I'm not sure if it's still needed, but to be on the safe side
> run, as root, "alsactl store".
> 
alsa mixer is not using the emu10k1 (this is a driver I take it)
although it appears a bunch of times (i have included the lsmod list
below).  Alsa mixer is using the chip on the tv card for some reason.
Card: Brooktree Bt878                                                │
Chip: Bt87x                                                          │
View: Playback                                                       │
Item: Capture Boost [Off] 
I suppose its a little troubling that alsa doesn't appear in the list of
modules at all.  It did before when the MB sound was enabled.
If the system is detecting the cards:
testermike@marvin:~$  lspci
0000:00:09.0 Multimedia video controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt878
Video Capture (rev 11)
0000:00:09.1 Multimedia controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt878 Audio
Capture (rev 11)
0000:00:0b.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1
(rev 07)
0000:00:0b.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! MIDI/Game
Port (rev 07)
Why isn't alsa "playing" with them both do you think?
Mike
Module                  Size  Used by
pcspkr                  3816  0
emu10k1_gp              3840  0
gameport                4736  1 emu10k1_gp
snd_emu10k1            80776  0
snd_rawmidi            23204  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_seq_device          7944  2 snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi
snd_ac97_codec         59268  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_util_mem            4608  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_hwdep               9092  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_bt87x              13640  1
snd_pcm_oss            48168  0
snd_mixer_oss          16640  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                85384  3 snd_emu10k1,snd_bt87x,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer              23300  1 snd_pcm
snd                    50660  13
snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device,snd_ac97_codec,snd_util_mem,snd_hwdep,snd_bt87x,snd_
pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
snd_page_alloc         11144  3 snd_emu10k1,snd_bt87x,snd_pcm
tuner                  18320  0
tvaudio                20748  0
bttv                  143052  0
video_buf              20356  1 bttv
i2c_algo_bit            8968  1 bttv
v4l2_common             6400  1 bttv
btcx_risc               4744  1 bttv
i2c_core               22416  4 tuner,tvaudio,bttv,i2c_algo_bit
videodev                9856  1 bttv
sound                  75308  0
soundcore               9824  3 snd,bttv,sound
cdrom                  35740  1 ide_cd
testermike@marvin:~$