Outlaw
by W.A. Production · Vocal Tool · Automatic gain rider
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Outlaw is a gain-riding plugin from W.A. Production that listens to incoming audio and moves the level up and down toward a target, like a hand on a mixing desk fader.
Filters, attack and release controls, max up/down limits and several RMS detection speeds let you tune how it rides, for $39.
Best for: Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Instruments, Keys & Synths. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: vocals, mixing, bass, dialogue, podcast, simple, A/B compare, auto-gain, CPU-light, hi-hats, metering, minimal controls, resizable UI.
What it does
Outlaw is W.A. Production's automatic gain rider. It moves the level of a track the way an engineer rides a fader, so a vocal or instrument sits at a steady level without drawing volume automation by hand. The developer's line is "All gain. No pain."
- Mix and Target: Mix sets how strongly it rides; Target sets the RMS level it aims for.
- Gate: a relative level below which softer sounds, breaths and bleed are ignored.
- Gain: master output, useful for level-matched A/B comparison.
- Detection filters: high-pass and low-pass filters with variable slopes, plus a band-pass mode, so rumble or hi-hat bleed doesn't move the fader.
- Attack, Release and Direction: shape how fast it reacts, and choose whether it rides upwards, downwards or both.
- Max Up and Max Down: cap how far it can boost or cut.
- RMS speed: slow, medium or fast detection, plus Instant and Zero modes.
- Display: peak and RMS meters for left and right, alongside the amount of gain riding.
Version 2.3.0 (April 2024) is the current version; 2.2.0 added a resizable interface and an updated preset manager. A demo is available. A free Outlaw Lite with only the four main controls has also been offered.
Source: W.A. Production product page
When to use it
Outlaw is a low-cost gain rider with unusually detailed control over its detector. Compared with Waves Vocal Rider, it gives you filters, a band-pass mode, direction control and five RMS speeds, but it has no music-aware sidechain that rides the vocal against the backing track. That makes Vocal Rider the stronger tool for dense mixes, while Outlaw is lighter, simpler and cheaper. Unlike Vocal Rider, which also has a dedicated Bass Rider sibling, Outlaw is one plugin for any source, from voice-over to bass. Pushed hard, its riding can become audible, so it works best as a gentle leveller before a compressor.
- Best for: evening out vocals, voice-over, podcasts, bass and acoustic parts before or instead of heavy compression.
- Genres: any; it is a general mixing tool.
- Look elsewhere if: you need the riding to follow the backing track, or want clean editable DAW automation; Waves Vocal Rider handles both better.
- Tip: use the high-pass filter on the detector when a vocal has low-frequency rumble, so the rumble doesn't trigger gain moves.
What producers say
Outlaw is seen as a solid budget alternative to Vocal Rider rather than a replacement for it.
- mixing.co.kr comparison recommended it for "budget-conscious bedroom producers" who want simplicity and low CPU use, and noted it is often heavily discounted.
- Criticisms: the same comparison found it works more independently than Vocal Rider, without sidechain awareness, and that its gain moves can become audible at aggressive settings.
Where to buy
- W.A. Production: $39
- Plugin Boutique: $39
- AudioDeluxe: $39
- Best Service: $59
Tutorials and reviews
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