# Distorted Tones Sounding very muddy / muffled **URL:** \ **Category:** Plugins\ **Tags:** archetype-nolly\ **Created:** [June 12, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/distorted-tones-sounding-very-muddy-muffled/2213 "2020-06-12T02:19:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dean.stavrides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@dean.stavrides](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/dean.stavrides)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/distorted-tones-sounding-very-muddy-muffled/2213/1 "2020-06-12T02:19:50Z")
I’m currently using Archetype Nolly with my scarlet solo 2i2 on a 2013 macbook pro, and the clean tones sound great, but when I try to use a distorted tone (Ive tried many of the presets and they have the same problem) it just sounds very muffled and undefined, and sound little like the demos Ive heard of them. If I mess with the eq to try to fix it, it then becomes super sizzly and unusable. Im using it at the lowest sample rate and at a latency around 10-15 ms, but could this be a CPU issue? Thanks, Dean ---
**Author:** ![Gonzalo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/gonzalo/32/165_2.png) [@Gonzalo](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/Gonzalo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/distorted-tones-sounding-very-muddy-muffled/2213/2 "2020-06-12T12:32:47Z")
Hi @dean.stavrides. That could be caused by multiple factors. Check that you’re using the INST input of your interface, and make sure that your interface is set as the Audio Input and Audio output device. Remember that you can send audio examples/videos to [support@neuraldsp.com](mailto:support@neuraldsp.com) so we can verify if there’s something wrong. ---
**Author:** ![karl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/karl/32/901_2.png) [@karl](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/karl)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/distorted-tones-sounding-very-muddy-muffled/2213/3 "2020-06-15T21:22:30Z")
Dude, I had the exact same issue with focurite 18i8. Muffled tones on the heavy stuff. Traced it to the input I was using on the interface was line input not a instrument input. Switched to channel 1 and set the input type to instrument and boom - sounds great. Fully sound, smooth, bright, just like Nolly’s demo… One additional thing - I put a Palmer DI box in front of the Focusrite. That seemed to lift the signal and tone quality… ---
**Author:** ![martin.emes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/martin.emes/32/900_2.png) [@martin.emes](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/martin.emes)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/distorted-tones-sounding-very-muddy-muffled/2213/4 "2020-06-22T14:09:50Z")
Interesting, I’ve been using Nolly with my scarlet 2i2 set to line not instrument, and loving how it sounds. I’ll have to try it on instrument setting and see how that sounds. ---
**Author:** ![karl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/karl/32/901_2.png) [@karl](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/karl)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/distorted-tones-sounding-very-muddy-muffled/2213/5 "2020-06-22T16:36:53Z")
Keep us updated ! ---
**Author:** ![martin.emes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/martin.emes/32/900_2.png) [@martin.emes](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/martin.emes)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/distorted-tones-sounding-very-muddy-muffled/2213/6 "2020-06-22T20:40:31Z")
I tried it but there doesn’t seem to be a difference, instrument just sounds louder than line. Sounds great anyway. ---
**Author:** ![colorless.tsuki](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/colorless.tsuki/32/384_2.png) [@colorless.tsuki](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/colorless.tsuki)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/distorted-tones-sounding-very-muddy-muffled/2213/7 "2020-06-26T00:21:09Z")
Might be a useless advice but i just turn down the master knob everytime it gets too muddy for me. Haha. ---
**Author:** ![tagilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tagilla](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/tagilla)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/distorted-tones-sounding-very-muddy-muffled/2213/8 "2021-12-25T17:47:20Z")
thank you so much, this fixed the issue I was having. Why does pressing INST matter though?