The Visual Sound Double Trouble is a dual overdrive pedal built around two Route 808 overdrive circuits in one box. MusicRadar described it as "essentially two Route 808s cleverly fitted into one box"1. It uses two stomps to change from one setting to another, and MusicRadar found that "this makes for a huge range of tones, not least because the second overdrive stage behaves differently according to how" the first is set up1.
What it does
Because the two stages are independent, the second overdrive behaves differently depending on how the first is set. MusicRadar noted that "this makes for a huge range of tones, not least because the second overdrive stage behaves differently according to how" the first is configured1. In practice that means the pedal can cover everything from a single mild boost to a stacked, higher-gain lead voice, all within one enclosure.
One thing to plan for on a board: with two independent circuits, "it takes two stomps to change from one setting to another"1, so switching both stages takes two taps rather than one.
On the current V2 version, Truetone includes an integrated noise reduction system that activates automatically when the signal is absent2.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's verdict was positive, summing the pedal up as offering "creative uses of some high quality tones in every function"1. The same review closed with a nudge to players shopping in this territory: "Don't overlook Visual Sound in your search for ultimate tone"1.
Related pedals
Visual Sound and Truetone built a family of overdrive and dual-effect pedals around the same house style:
- Visual Sound Route 808, the single overdrive the Double Trouble doubles up1
- Visual Sound Route 66, the company's combined compressor and overdrive
- Visual Sound VS-XO Premium Dual Overdrive, a later two-channel overdrive
- Visual Sound Open Road Overdrive and Visual Sound Truetone Clean Boost, from the same era of single-effect pedals
For where the Double Trouble sits among drive pedals generally, see the site's pages on Overdrive Pedals and Distortion Pedals, or the comparison of the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, the circuit family the Route 808 belongs to.
Videos
intheblues
Truetone
intheblues
Sources (2)
- Visual Sound Double Trouble review, MusicRadar, 2008-05-23
- V2 Double Trouble, Truetone, 2026
