diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp
index 8803ecd35a..1b1b2d3443 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@
 
 /* int err; must be defined before using this macro */
 #define ALSA_CHECK(x) \
-       if ( err < 0 ) { LOG->Info("ALSA9: %s: %s (%i)", x, dsnd_strerror(err), err); return false; }
+       if ( err < 0 ) { LOG->Info("ALSA9: %s: %s", x, dsnd_strerror(err)); return false; }
 #define ALSA_ASSERT(x) \
-        if (err < 0) { LOG->Trace("ALSA9: %s: %s (%i)", x, dsnd_strerror(err), err); }
+        if (err < 0) { LOG->Trace("ALSA9: %s: %s", x, dsnd_strerror(err)); }
 
 bool Alsa9Buf::SetHWParams()
 {
@@ -76,10 +76,9 @@ void Alsa9Buf::GetSoundCardDebugInfo()
 		snd_ctl_t *handle;
 		int err;
 		err = dsnd_ctl_open( &handle, id, 0 );
-		ALSA_ASSERT("dsnd_pcm_sw_params_set_stop_threshold");
 		if ( err < 0 )
 		{
-			LOG->Info( "Couldn't open card #%i (\"%s\"): %s", card, id.c_str(), dsnd_strerror(err) );
+			LOG->Info( "Couldn't open card #%i (\"%s\") to probe: %s", card, id.c_str(), dsnd_strerror(err) );
 			continue;
 		}
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_ALSA9.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_ALSA9.cpp
index 2b1e9ad7b4..c73764e6ac 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_ALSA9.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_ALSA9.cpp
@@ -231,13 +231,12 @@ try {
 			for(int n = 0; n < i; ++n)
 				delete stream_pool[n];
 
-			if(i)
-			{
-				/* We created at least one hardware buffer. */
-				LOG->Trace("Could only create %i buffers; need at least 8 (failed with %s).  Hardware ALSA driver can't be used.", i, e.what());
-				RageException::ThrowNonfatal("Driver unusable (not enough hardware buffers)");
-			}
-			RageException::ThrowNonfatal("Driver unusable (no hardware buffers)");
+			if( !i )
+				RageException::ThrowNonfatal( "%s", e.what() );
+
+			/* We created at least one hardware buffer. */
+			LOG->Trace("Could only create %i buffers; need at least 8 (failed with %s).  Hardware ALSA driver can't be used.", i, e.what());
+			RageException::ThrowNonfatal("Driver unusable (not enough mixing streams)");
 		}
 
 		stream *s = new stream;