This week’s free plugin is RoughRider 3 from Audiodamage, an update to Roughrider 2 with new features and a revised sound.
What Is RoughRider 3
Roughrider 3 is a character compressor which, as the name implies, can sound rough (in a good way) if you want it to. It’s dark in character, though it now has a full bandwidth mode which is noticeable brighter, and it’s nice and fast for those extreme drum compression effects.
With a mix control, side chain HPF and external side chain it’s ready for parallel and external key duties and probably helpfully there is no gain reduction meter, only a scrolling gain reduction history in the central display which isn’t very detailed. Because of this you have to set it by ear, which has to be a good thing!
How Do I Get RoughRider 3
Use the button above to visit the Audiodamage website. Download the installer and install the version you need.
RoughRider 3 is available for windows and macOS as a VST, AU CLAP and AAX plugin, Apple Silicon compatible, no iLok required.
Julian Rodgers is Editor of Production Expert. He has a background in live sound and has been a Pro Tools user since 2001. He lives by the sea in West Cornwall where he plays piano, bass and guitar equally badly and is an avid collector of microphones and opinions about all things audio.