Well, thanks for your first answer.
So I see... if I were to apply your suggestion to get out of the mud it would be by excluding a soundcard, using both S/PDIF out (to amp) and analog out (to headphones), controlling mic in by webcam.
In this case I could directly use mic in from headphones, avoiding extra complications, yet I don't get (if the soundcard were just one) what would be the role of pulseaudio (of which I btw heard all the kinds of hell about).
Btw, I've just run a full d-u and, at least, the audio loop problem got solved. Dunno if it was due to either krnl3.5.4 or vlc or kde4.8.4-3 or their combination, but, at least now, it works.
Btw, also tried the config file I posted, alsa refused it horrified (some syntax has changed from the old times, meanwhile?)
(((
Some questions are still on the table and, especially, whether I can use kde/phonon to fine-grain choose which soundcard for which application (thing which would cut off all my troubles away) or if I still have to act on asound.conf and how (also considering that my config was rejected by soundserver).
My ideal target would be sth like:
- default on Live S/PDIF
- skype, 1 web browser, 1 player on Intel
Of course the web browser part is the trickiest!
Any more suggestions?