I've been using a "Soundblaster Live Value" on Linux for a while with good results, but find that the complexity of ALSA mixer is confusing and difficult to use. Each time that I want to record from a different source, or enable a source for monitoring, it takes me 5 minutes to locate the correct control from multitude available. And so began my quest for a better mixer for the SBLive.....
The result of my quest - QAmix.
Immediately after installing in xubuntu, it was available in the "Multimedia" section of the Applications menu. When opened, it detected by card as "EMU 10k1" (which is the sound chip on the card) and selected the appropriate profile that offered all the controls that apply to this card and non of the options that don't.
Selecting the "Simple" interface reduces the options to those that are most commonly used and makes it all very quick and simple.
My rating for QAmix - 10/10
[Edit: for users of M-Audio 1010-LT, there is a definition file for QAmix here: http://radio.socialtechnology.net/?q=node/5 ]