According to this, I think you should use jackd instead of pulseaudio when you need realtime, low latency, etc...
Jack and pulseaudio are on the same software "layer". I mean just after alsa and the kernel.
As far as I understand it pulse audio replaces esd and artsd
soundservers. If you do audioproduction and need low latency and/or
routing jack is the soundserver of choice.
Afaik pulseaudio should shut down automatically when you start jack.
There is a jack module for pulse. I ahve installed it and used it
successfully in the past but it seems to slow things down. Maybe things
have improved since then, as I compiled and set it up middle of last
year sometime.