RoughRider3
by Audio Damage · Compressor · Character compressor
Not rated yet
RoughRider3 is a free compressor designed as a "character box" with warm, aggressive coloring, first released in 2008.
Its ratio runs from gentle to 1:1000, and it has an external sidechain with high-pass filter and a Full Bandwidth switch that bypasses its warming filter.
Best for: Drums, Drum Bus, Bass, Keys & Synths. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Hip-Hop & Trap, Rock & Indie, Lo-Fi.
Keywords: warm, aggressive, drums, sidechain input, bass, free, parallel processing, external sidechain, gentle, resizable UI, dark, enhancement, kick, metering, built-in mix knob, bus processing, colored, drum bus, gritty, heavy, lo-fi, mixing, pumping, single-band.
What it does
RoughRider3 is Audio Damage's free character compressor, described by the developer as "dark, warm, and aggressive". It is built for drums and electronic material and colors the sound on purpose; pushed hard, it does something closer to demolition than compression.
- Ratio: a logarithmic ratio control that runs from gentle compression up to 1:1000.
- Timing and threshold: attack and release controls meant to be set by ear, plus a sensitivity control that sets how hard the signal hits the compressor.
- Warming filter and Full Bandwidth: a built-in warming circuit adds weight and darkness; the Full Bandwidth switch removes it for cleaner compression.
- Sidechain: an external sidechain input with its own high-pass filter, so kicks and bass don't dominate the detector.
- Levels and mix: dedicated input and output level controls and a mix knob for parallel compression.
- Metering and interface: input, output and gain-reduction metering in a resizable interface.
It is free, with no trial or nag screen.
Source: Audio Damage product page
When to use it
RoughRider3 is a free compressor for squashing and coloring, not for invisible control. Compared with FabFilter Pro-C 3 or TDR Kotelnikov, it has far fewer controls and no precision metering or transparent modes, but it adds warmth and grit with almost no setup. It sits closer in spirit to the 1176 Classic Limiter Collection or the EL8 Distressor used in their aggressive settings, though it models no specific hardware and costs nothing. Against Klanghelm MJUC, which offers vintage-style variable-mu flavours, it is cruder and more extreme, with a ratio that goes far past any hardware.
- Best for: pumping drum buses, crushed parallel drums, gritty bass and sidechained electronic parts.
- Genres: electronic, hip-hop, rock and lo-fi.
- Look elsewhere if: you need transparent or precise compression for mixing or mastering; Pro-C 3 or Kotelnikov are the better tools.
- Tip: use it aggressively and blend it back with the mix knob for parallel compression; Attack Magazine also suggests it for drum buses, vocals and guitar.
What producers say
Reviewers treat RoughRider3 as a popular free tool for aggressive compression rather than an all-purpose compressor.
- Attack Magazine said it sounds great, with a warming circuit that "adds a bit of oomph", and that it is "best when used aggressively"; it noted well over half a million downloads of the series.
- KVR users rate the series 4 out of 5 from 2 reviews; a version 3 reviewer recommended it for "kick-a$" compression and welcomed the new level controls, sidechain filter and resizable GUI.
- Criticisms: no numeric entry for parameters (click and drag only); an older-version review also described it as more of an experimental, mash-it-up compressor than a universal one.
Where to buy
- Audio Damage: Free
- Plugin Boutique: Free
Tutorials and reviews
- Audiodamage Roughrider 3 FREE compressor
- High quality free Rough Rider 3 Agressive Compressor VST by Audio Damage
- How This is FREE? Rough Rider 3 by Audio Damage - Sound Demo
- freebie friday Rough Rider 3 by Audio Damage
- 【Preset】Rough Rider3 (Free)コンプ Effect AudioDamage
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