[linux-audio-user] rec creates empty files, play plays nothing

[ed orphan]

lsmod for the root command line:
Module                  Size  Used by    Not tainted
sg                     32612   0  (unused)
parport_pc             17988   1  (autoclean)
lp                      9024   0  (autoclean)
parport                33280   1  (autoclean) [parport_pc lp]
autofs                 11940   0  (autoclean) (unused)
ide-scsi                9312   0
scsi_mod              103904   2  [sg ide-scsi]
ide-cd                 29856   0
cdrom                  33184   0  [ide-cd]
usb-uhci               23492   0  (unused)
usbcore                71168   1  [usb-uhci]

  lsmod for root Gnome   This is where I do the rec command
        inside a terminal because I have access to the mixer.
Module                  Size  Used by    Not tainted
emu10k1                65888   1  (autoclean)
ac97_codec             11872   0  (autoclean) [emu10k1]
sound                  70956   0  (autoclean) [emu10k1]
soundcore               6436   7  (autoclean) [emu10k1 sound]
agpgart                38048   0  (unused)
sg                     32612   0  (unused)
parport_pc             17988   1  (autoclean)
lp                      9024   0  (autoclean)
parport                33280   1  (autoclean) [parport_pc lp]
autofs                 11940   0  (autoclean) (unused)
ide-scsi                9312   0
scsi_mod              103904   2  [sg ide-scsi]
ide-cd                 29856   0
cdrom                  33184   0  [ide-cd]
usb-uhci               23492   0  (unused)
usbcore                71168   1  [usb-uhci]

/dev/dsp      crw- --- --- 1 root root dsp
/dev/audio   crw- --- --- 1 root root audio

Creative SBLive - Emu10K1 mixer
 All items are at least 60 % up. Vol, PCM, Line, IGain are all 90-100 % up
 I've been messing with these switches for two days now and none of them help.

 Maybe the sound card has gone screwy. But then, why does it work fine for
 everything else, like playing CDs, playing ripped WAV files, playing the OS
  GUI noises etc. And I can hear my quitar through the computer speakers
  when I'm playing hooked up to the sound card's blue line-in.
Two years ago I used rec and play quite a bit and it all worked fine. Wish I
hadn't lost my notes on how to do it.
   The Sound HOWTO gave an example. I used the sound card's pink
line-in for microphone and did I few words through my cheap mic.
dd bs=8k count=4 < /dev/audio > sample.au
 So I tried it and it did create sample.au.   play sample.au was silent.
 cat sample.au > /dev/dsp and cat sample.au > /dev/audio made 
 distorted noises.
     Anybody got any idea what's wrong?