[LAU] zoom h2 software mixer?

To celebrate my new full time job, and payday, I just got a zoom h2. It records four channels from its four microphones, runs on AA batteries, and can be accessed as a hard drive or a sound card (sadly only two mics at a time when a sound card). Excellent little machine for the price. My one problem is that alsa (either via amixer, alsamixer or oss-emulation mixer via aumix) will not give me any mixer controls. Am I stuck with using the silly buttons on the machine for all mixing, when I use it as a sound card? How hard would it be to write a mixer for it... is the problem a lack of developer time or an issue with the device itself?