Bobthwarts

Ralph that sounds VERY plausible as i updated mine first thing before even using it. Not home now but ill respond back here if that fixes my issues!!. Rocco I'll check all my presets for the IR blocks or cabs in the signal line. THX for the help!!!!

I forgot to mention it's muddy via the headphones as well. Im not using a mixer just two new powered 12" PA speakers going L/R via XLR that both have line or mic input switches that I set as line they both have gain and master and a low and high mixing. They also have a clip meter which never lights up. If I back my guitars volume off it'll drop off most of the fuzz and of course that's more of an issue with high output pups but of course doing that i lose the full tone signal from my guitar . The AX8 had a very effective way to adjust the input levels that solved those issues of which I never heard anyways it was more of a way to perfect the levels. With the Helix pretty much any attempt to add gain or use distortion effects sends it into static muddy fuzz. Some presets its subtle others it major either way its always present. Having the same issue with both units tells me it must be on my end but after adjusting every level in global and elsewhere no luck so I must be missing something, but for it to be as bad as it is right out of the box even after adding all the updates seems strange. The first sound i tried was 02a US small tweed without adjusting anything and its sounded muddy and is breaking up. Anyone else have that issue? I've gone through the first ten 10 banks and most sound bad. Ive been using a PRS 513, Music Man Luke with active EMGs and a USA Fender strat all diff levels of output pups the Fender being lowest. Im lost.

I have had the same problem. I was able to demo an AX8 plugged XLR straight into the same powered PA speakers I have and it sounded amazing. I got the Helix hoping for the same but its muddy horrible sounding. I tried lowering the Helix input, turning the Pad on, made sure I was on line level eg no phantom power coming from the PA, made sure my PA gain wasn't clipping but nothing but distorted mud. So i switched to coming out of the 1/4 into 1/4 same. I told Helix and they sent me another one and same issues now I just found this post and it doesn't seem that anyone has solved this problem. The reason the AX8 was so incredible was you could get amazing amp sounds direct to the PA so no more lugging amps around. Sounds like everyone is using the 4 cable method with success but no success going direct and Helix didn't have an answer for me. This is a major bummer.