I know that USB is deliberately started early (presumably to allow USB storage devices to work optimally). But this behavior causes audio problems. If you have a standard sound card, and USB audio devices, you're in trouble. Unless you always leave your USB device either IN or OUT at boot, the "sound slot" entries in /etc/modules.conf get all confused and step over each other. Plus, the device entries for your sound cards are constantly shifting order. The solution is to start the normal bus-based sound cards first, since they can't be removed or inserted. Then start the removable devices. -Bryce Note: With the emul10k1 sound card, if a USB audio device is inserted at boot, you get no device entries assigned to the sound card. Unplugging USB brings back the emul10k1. If you insert USB audio after boot, the USB devices take the next available slots as you might expect (unless you do it a bunch of times, in which case it all gets hoplessly mucked up). Working usb audio devices include speakers & microphones.
Kudzu constantly whines about USB devices, no matter what you tell it. This may be related. Get an Andrea NC-7100 USB Microphone if you want to test.
This is solved in FC3 - all built-in (PCI) devices are enumerated before USB.