alsa starts, then disappears; play works, aplay fails

[Brian Boonstra <boonstb@cmg.FCNBD.COM>]

Hi

  I have a weird problem where ALSA appears to start, but then remains  
unavailable.  When I try to use "aplay", it doesn't work.  But when I use  
"play", (through "sox") it does.  Check this out:

    mass ~ > sudo aplay
    Aplay: version 0.3.2 by Jaroslav Kysela <perex@suse.cz>
    Error: audio open error: No such file or directory
    mass ~ > amixer
    The ALSA sound driver was not detected in this system.
    mass ~ > sudo /etc/init.d/alsa start
    ALSA driver is already running.
    mass ~ > sudo /etc/init.d/alsa restart
    Shutting down sound driver: done.
    Starting sound driver: snd-audiopci1370 failed.
    mass ~ > sudo /etc/init.d/alsa start
    ALSA driver is already running.
    mass ~ > aplay
    Aplay: version 0.3.2 by Jaroslav Kysela <perex@suse.cz>
    Error: audio open error: No such file or directory
    mass ~ > ls /proc/asound/
    cards  dev  devices  meminfo  oss-devices  pcm  seq  timers  version      


How can this be?  Here is what I see at boot time:


    Aug 17 20:41:51 mass kernel: es1370: version v0.22 time 16:39:10 Aug 11
        1999
    Aug 17 20:41:51 mass kernel: es1370: found adapter at io 0xb000 irq 5
    Aug 17 20:41:51 mass kernel: es1370: features: joystick on, line in, mic
        impedance 0
    Aug 17 20:41:51 mass kernel: es1371: version v0.11 time 16:39:14 Aug 11
        1999

    Aug 17 20:57:48 mass kernel: isapnp: No Plug & Play device found
    Aug 17 20:58:16 mass kernel: snd: Ensoniq AudioPCI soundcard #1 not found
        or device busy


and here are the outputs from some commands that may be relevant:



    mass ~ > cat /proc/modules
    snd-ens1370             5772   0
    snd-pcm1               16988   0 [snd-ens1370]
    snd-ak4531-codec        9932   0 [snd-ens1370]
    snd-mixer              24288   0 [snd-ens1370 snd-ak4531-codec]
    snd-seq-midi            4292   0
    snd-seq                29544   0 [snd-seq-midi]
    snd-timer               7804   0 [snd-pcm1 snd-seq]
    snd-midi               12716   0 [snd-ens1370 snd-seq-midi]
    snd-pcm                 7660   0 [snd-pcm1]
    snd                    33728   0 [snd-ens1370 snd-pcm1 snd-ak4531-codec
        snd-mixer snd-seq-midi snd-seq snd-timer snd-midi snd-pcm]
    isapnp                 22697   0
    sg                     11756   0 (unused)
    parport_probe           3172   0 (autoclean) (unused)
    lp                      5372   0 (unused)
    parport                 7268   0 [parport_probe lp]
    ufs                    52000   0 (unused)
    smbfs                  26712   0 (unused)



    mass ~ > fgrep SOUND /boot/config-2.2.10
    CONFIG_SOUND=y
    # CONFIG_SOUND_ES1370 is not set
    # CONFIG_SOUND_ES1371 is not set
    # CONFIG_SOUND_SONICVIBES is not set
    # CONFIG_SOUND_MSNDCLAS is not set
    # CONFIG_SOUND_MSNDPIN is not set
    # CONFIG_SOUND_OSS is not set