OK, here's the deal. The sound in Doom 3 is buggered. If I set the backend to ALSA, the sound goes, as other people have descibed, really robotic, the same if its set to best. When I set it to OSS, it's OK, but it only works in stereo and the right hand channel is very crackily. Note it's only the right hand channel thats crackily. Any ideas?

The crackling noise has gone, but I cannot get surround sound to work. Here is the code from the console, starting up the game in surround mode:

DOOM 1.3.1302 linux-x86 May 12 2005 14:56:44
found interface lo - loopback
found interface eth0 - 192.168.1.3/255.255.255.0
------ Initializing File System ------
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/game01.pk4 with checksum 0xe9d5adcf
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/game02.pk4 with checksum 0x80401dd2
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/game03.pk4 with checksum 0x351c23e8
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak000.pk4 with checksum 0x28d208f1
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak001.pk4 with checksum 0x40244be0
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak002.pk4 with checksum 0xc51ecdcd
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak003.pk4 with checksum 0xcd79d028
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak004.pk4 with checksum 0x765e4f8b
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak005.pk4 with checksum 0x8ffc3621
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak006.pk4 with checksum 0x95b65ab
Loaded pk4 /home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak007.pk4 with checksum 0x666bdb3c
Current search path:
/home/nick/.doom3/base
/home/nick/games/doom3/base
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak007.pk4 (38 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak006.pk4 (48 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak005.pk4 (63 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak004.pk4 (5137 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak003.pk4 (4676 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak002.pk4 (6120 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak001.pk4 (8972 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/pak000.pk4 (2698 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/game03.pk4 (2 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/game02.pk4 (2 files)
/home/nick/games/doom3/base/game01.pk4 (2 files)
game DLL: 0x0 in pak: 0x0
Addon pk4s:
file system initialized.
--------------------------------------
----- Initializing Decls -----
------------------------------
------- Initializing renderSystem --------
using ARB renderSystem
renderSystem initialized.
--------------------------------------
5206 strings read from strings/english.lang
Couldn't open journal files
execing editor.cfg
execing default.cfg
execing DoomConfig.cfg
couldn't exec autoexec.cfg
5206 strings read from strings/english.lang
----- Initializing Sound System ------
sound system initialized.
--------------------------------------
----- R_InitOpenGL -----
Setup X display connection
dlopen(libGL.so.1)
Initializing OpenGL display
Using XFree86-VidModeExtension Version 2.2
Xlib: extension "XFree86-DGA" missing on display ":0.0".
Failed to detect DGA DirectVideo Mouse
Free86-VidModeExtension Activated at 1024x768
Using 8/8/8 Color bits, 8 Alpha bits, 24 depth, 8 stencil display.
GL_RENDERER: RADEON 9800 Pro Generic
GL_EXTENSIONS: GL_ARB_multitexture GL_EXT_texture_env_add GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array GL_S3_s3tc GL_ARB_depth_texture GL_ARB_fragment_program GL_ARB_fragment_program_shadow GL_ARB_fragment_shader GL_ARB_multisample GL_ARB_occlusion_query GL_ARB_point_parameters GL_ARB_point_sprite GL_ARB_shader_objects GL_ARB_shading_language_100 GL_ARB_shadow GL_ARB_shadow_ambient GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp GL_ARB_texture_compression GL_ARB_texture_cube_map GL_ARB_texture_env_add GL_ARB_texture_env_combine GL_ARB_texture_env_crossbar GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3 GL_ARB_texture_mirrored_repeat GL_ARB_transpose_matrix GL_ARB_vertex_blend GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object GL_ARB_vertex_program GL_ARB_vertex_shader GL_ARB_window_pos GL_ATI_draw_buffers GL_ATI_element_array GL_ATI_envmap_bumpmap GL_ATI_fragment_shader GL_ATI_map_object_buffer GL_ATI_separate_stencil GL_ATI_texture_env_combine3 GL_ATI_texture_float GL_ATI_texture_mirror_once GL_ATI_vertex_array_object GL_ATI_vertex_attrib_array_object GL_ATI_vertex_streams GL_ATIX_texture_env_combine3 GL_ATIX_texture_env_route GL_ATIX_vertex_shader_output_point_size GL_EXT_abgr GL_EXT_bgra GL_EXT_blend_color GL_EXT_blend_func_separate GL_EXT_blend_minmax GL_EXT_blend_subtract GL_EXT_clip_volume_hint GL_EXT_draw_range_elements GL_EXT_fog_coord GL_EXT_framebuffer_object GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays GL_EXT_packed_pixels GL_EXT_point_parameters GL_EXT_rescale_normal GL_EXT_secondary_color GL_EXT_separate_specular_color GL_EXT_shadow_funcs GL_EXT_stencil_wrap GL_EXT_texgen_reflection GL_EXT_texture3D GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_cube_map GL_EXT_texture_edge_clamp GL_EXT_texture_env_combine GL_EXT_texture_env_dot3 GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias GL_EXT_texture_mirror_clamp GL_EXT_texture_object GL_EXT_texture_rectangle GL_EXT_vertex_array GL_EXT_vertex_shader GL_HP_occlusion_test GL_NV_blend_square GL_NV_occlusion_query GL_NV_texgen_reflection GL_SGI_color_matrix GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap GL_SGIS_texture_border_clamp GL_SGIS_texture_edge_clamp GL_SGIS_texture_lod GL_SUN_multi_draw_arrays

------- Input Initialization -------
XKB extension: compile time 0x1:0x0, runtime 0x1:0x0: OK
XKB extension present on server ( 0x1:0x0 )
------------------------------------
------ OSS Sound Initialization ------
opened sound device '/dev/dsp'
ioctl SNDCTL_SYSINFO failed: Invalid argument
this ioctl is only available in OSS/Linux implementation. If you run OSS/Free, don't bother.WARNING: ioctl SNDCTL_DSP_CHANNELS 6 failed: Cannot allocate memory
close sound device
WARNING: sound subsystem disabled
--------------------------------------
...using GL_ARB_multitexture
...using GL_ARB_texture_env_combine
...using GL_ARB_texture_cube_map
...using GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3
...using GL_ARB_texture_env_add
X..GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two not found
...using GL_ARB_texture_compression
...using GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc
...using GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic
maxTextureAnisotropy: 16.000000
...using GL_EXT_texture_lod
...using GL_1.4_texture_lod_bias
X..GL_EXT_shared_texture_palette not found
...using GL_EXT_texture3D
...using GL_EXT_stencil_wrap
X..GL_NV_register_combiners not found
X..GL_EXT_stencil_two_side not found
...using GL_ATI_separate_stencil
...using GL_ATI_fragment_shader
...using GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object
...using GL_ARB_vertex_program
...using GL_ARB_fragment_program
X..EXT_depth_bounds_test not found
---------- R_NV20_Init ----------
Not available.
----------- R200_Init -----------
GL_NUM_FRAGMENT_REGISTERS_ATI: 6
GL_NUM_FRAGMENT_CONSTANTS_ATI: 8
GL_NUM_PASSES_ATI: 2
GL_NUM_INSTRUCTIONS_PER_PASS_ATI: 8
GL_NUM_INSTRUCTIONS_TOTAL_ATI: 16
GL_COLOR_ALPHA_PAIRING_ATI: 1
GL_NUM_LOOPBACK_COMPONENTS_ATI: 3
GL_NUM_INPUT_INTERPOLATOR_COMPONENTS_ATI: 3
FPROG_FAST_PATH
---------------------
---------- R_ARB2_Init ----------
Available.
---------------------------------
----- R_ReloadARBPrograms -----
glprogs/test.vfp
glprogs/test.vfp
glprogs/interaction.vfp
glprogs/interaction.vfp
glprogs/bumpyEnvironment.vfp
glprogs/bumpyEnvironment.vfp
glprogs/ambientLight.vfp
glprogs/ambientLight.vfp
glprogs/shadow.vp
glprogs/R200_interaction.vp
glprogs/nv20_bumpAndLight.vp
glprogs/nv20_diffuseColor.vp
glprogs/nv20_specularColor.vp
glprogs/nv20_diffuseAndSpecularColor.vp
glprogs/environment.vfp
glprogs/environment.vfp
glprogs/arbVP_glasswarp.txt: File not found
glprogs/arbFP_glasswarp.txt: File not found
-------------------------------
using ARB_vertex_buffer_object memory
using ARB2 renderSystem
found DLL in pak file: /home/nick/games/doom3/base/game01.pk4/gamex86.so
copy gamex86.so to /home/nick/.doom3/base/gamex86.so
--------- Initializing Game ----------
gamename: baseDOOM-1
gamedate: May 10 2005
Initializing event system
...472 event definitions
Initializing class hierarchy
...142 classes, 381376 bytes for event callbacks
Initializing scripts
/proc/cpuinfo CPU frequency: 2800.91 MHz
Compiled 'removeInitialSplineAngles': 2010.3 ms
---------- Compile stats ----------

Memory usage:
Strings: 79, 12592 bytes
Statements: 67866, 1357320 bytes
Functions: 2108, 250452 bytes
Variables: 147244 bytes
Mem used: 2478772 bytes
Static data: 2277552 bytes
Allocated: 3284208 bytes
Thread size: 7068 bytes

...6 aas types
game initialized.
--------------------------------------
-------- Initializing Session --------
session initialized
--------------------------------------
Opening IP socket: localhost:-1
--- Common Initialization Complete ---
------------- Warnings ---------------
during DOOM 3 initialization...
WARNING: ioctl SNDCTL_DSP_CHANNELS 6 failed: Cannot allocate memory
WARNING: sound subsystem disabled
2 warnings
terminal support enabled ( use +set in_tty 0 to disabled )
pid: 5045
752 MB System Memory
guessing video ram ( use +set sys_videoRam to force ) ..
96 MB Video Memory
Async thread started
guid set to Vrd3TUQ5vB4
--------- Game Map Shutdown ----------
--------------------------------------
idRenderSystem::Shutdown()
------------ Game Shutdown -----------
--------- Game Map Shutdown ----------
--------------------------------------
Shutdown event system
--------------------------------------
shutdown terminal support


I think there are two very important sets of lines amongst all that:

------ OSS Sound Initialization ------
opened sound device '/dev/dsp'
ioctl SNDCTL_SYSINFO failed: Invalid argument
this ioctl is only available in OSS/Linux implementation. If you run OSS/Free, don't bother.WARNING: ioctl SNDCTL_DSP_CHANNELS 6 failed: Cannot allocate memory
close sound device
WARNING: sound subsystem disabled

and

------------- Warnings ---------------
during DOOM 3 initialization...
WARNING: ioctl SNDCTL_DSP_CHANNELS 6 failed: Cannot allocate memory
WARNING: sound subsystem disabled
2 warnings
terminal support enabled ( use +set in_tty 0 to disabled )
pid: 5045
752 MB System Memory
guessing video ram ( use +set sys_videoRam to force ) ..
96 MB Video Memory
Async thread started
guid set to Vrd3TUQ5vB4

Also it seems to think my gfx card has 96mb ram, but it's 128! WTF is with that?