Sound Messed Up again on 9.10

[nepal]

Yesterday for some unknown (to me) reason, the sound reproduction on my
9.10 platform has been changed (without my knowledge or approval I
might add!) and the sound volume has been turned down real low. I tried
to set it at a decent level with alsamixergui, but on restart the max
settings remain, but the "base line" setting for sound volume has
returned to very low.

Boy could I use some really expressive profanity right now!

but I will spare your blushes.... ;)

I have checked to see that pulse is not installed and AFAICT it isn't.
certainly all the files that begin pulse.... are not installed.

I won't say any more in case I put people off responding, but this
nonsense is way past a joke canonical...

nepal.