The J. Rockett Audio Designs Josh Smith Dual Tremolo is a tremolo pedal with a built-in boost, built around two completely separate tremolo sides. Each side has its own Rate and Depth controls, so you can dial in two distinct tremolo settings and then switch between them or stack them together.1
The pedal is a collaboration between blues artist Josh Smith, pedal designer J. Rockett Audio Designs and Tim Jauernig, and it is voiced to capture the tremolo sounds of classic "Leo" style amplifiers, the Fender-style amp tremolo many players associate with vintage American combos.1
Two independent tremolo sides
The core idea is simple: instead of one tremolo circuit, there are two, each with its own speed and depth. The maker's product page describes it as featuring "two independent tremolo sections (each with their own Rate and Depth controls)," which "allows you to dial two distinct trem settings, switch between them or stack them."1
Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, put it the same way in his 2015 review: "Not only are there 2 completely separate tremolo sides, you can not only control the speed, but the depth of each indivi[dual side]."2
In practice, that means a player can set one side slow and shallow for a steady pulse, set the other faster and deeper, and move between them with a footswitch, or run both at once for a more complex wave. For anyone who has wished a single tremolo pedal could hold two settings for different songs, that is the whole point of the design12.
The controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate (each side) | Sets tremolo speed, from very slow and subtle to a fast, Leslie-like spin2 |
| Depth (each side) | Sets tremolo depth, from a small amount up to a full pulsing wave of sound2 |
| Boost | Global control for the level output of both sides, compensating for the volume drop typical of tremolo pedals, or usable as a clean boost12 |
The Speed control's range drew specific praise in the Pedal of the Day review: "The Speed control has a nice range, from uber-slow and subtle to a fast, Leslie-like spin."2 The Depth control works the other end of the effect, and Mike B found it equally flexible: "The Depth is nice as well, allowing you to go from just a smidge of trem up to a full-on, pulsing wave of sound."2
The Boost knob addresses a common complaint with tremolo pedals, which is that the effect's volume drop leaves the quiet parts of the wave quieter than your bypassed signal. Because it is global, one knob sets the output level for both sides, and J. Rockett describes it as also usable "to act as a clean boost."1 Players looking for a dedicated level push in a smaller box may also want to compare it with the J. Rockett Audio Designs Hightop Boost/EQ or browse the site's Boost Pedals page.
Where it came from
The pedal was designed in conjunction with Josh Smith, Rockett Pedals and Tim Jauernig, and it carries Smith's name as a signature design.2 Josh Smith is a blues artist, and the collaboration pairs his playing and amp-tremolo preferences with J. Rockett's circuit design and Jauernig's input.1
The voicing target is explicit: J. Rockett describes the pedal as "voiced to capture the tremolo sounds of classic 'Leo' style amplifiers," a reference to the bias-wiggle tremolo found in vintage Fender-type amps.1 Players who want to hear how that style sits among other options can compare it with the site's Tremolo Pedals page.
The pedal is built in what Pedal of the Day calls "a typically hardcore enclosure, like all their pedals," consistent with the rest of the J. Rockett line.2
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal in March 2015, and the reviewer's verdict was strongly positive. Mike B called it "one of the coolest tremolos I've come across in quite a while," adding that "Just the words 'Dual Tremolo' make it interesting, before you even see or hear it."2
The review's overall picture is of a pedal whose two-sided design is the feature, with the Boost knob and the wide speed range as supporting strengths. The Pedal of the Day verdict stands as the main press assessment2.
Related J. Rockett pedals
J. Rockett Audio Designs makes a range of signature and boost-oriented pedals. Alongside the Dual Tremolo, the line includes the J. Rockett Audio Designs Revolver, the J. Rockett Audio Designs Dude, the J. Rockett Audio Designs Lenny Color Boost, the J.Rockett Audio Designs Allan Holdsworth Overdrive/Boost, the J. Rockett Audio Designs Tim Pierce Signature OD/Power Amp and the J. Rockett Audio Designs PXO.1
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
ProGuitarShopDemos
J. Rockett Audio Designs
Questions
Can the two tremolo sides of the Josh Smith Dual Tremolo be set independently?
Yes. The pedal carries two completely separate tremolo sections, each with its own Rate and Depth controls. That lets you dial in two distinct tremolo settings and then switch between them during a song or stack them together, so a slow subtle pulse and a faster wave are both available on the same pedal without re-tweaking knobs mid-set.
What does the Boost knob do on the Josh Smith Dual Tremolo?
The Boost knob is a global control that sets the level output for both tremolo sides of the pedal. Tremolo circuits typically drop overall volume, and this control compensates for that loss. J. Rockett also describes it as usable as a clean boost in its own right, so you can run it to push your level even with the tremolo effect subtle or off.
Who is Josh Smith?
Josh Smith is a blues artist who collaborated on this pedal. The Josh Smith Dual Trem is a collaboration between Smith, pedal designer J. Rockett Audio Designs and Tim Jauernig, and the pedal carries Smith's name as its signature artist.
Can the Josh Smith Dual Tremolo do Leslie-style speeds?
According to Pedal of the Day's review, the Speed control covers a wide range, from very slow and subtle settings up to a fast, Leslie-like spin. Combined with the independent Depth control on each side, that gives players both gentle amplifier-style pulses and faster rotating-speaker style movement from the same knob.
Who designed the J. Rockett Josh Smith Dual Tremolo?
The pedal was designed in conjunction with blues guitarist Josh Smith, J. Rockett Audio Designs (also known as Rockett Pedals) and Tim Jauernig. It is a three-way collaboration between the artist, the pedal maker and the designer.
Sources (2)
- Josh Smith Dual Trem by J. Rockett Audio Designs, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- J. Rockett Audio Designs Josh Smith Dual Tremolo, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-03-14
