Robbie Hutton on How Holding Space for the Divine Freed His Process

Transcending Vocals is a vocal sample pack from hugely prolific songwriter and vocalist, Robbie Hutton. We sat down with Robbie to ask about his process and creative mindset when approaching a sample pack like this.

Our Conversation with Robbie Hutton

Tell us your story. How did you move from songwriting/vocals into making vocal sample packs?

I’ve been writing songs since I was about 13 - originally as the lead singer in a heavy metal band, haha! It’s funny looking back now because it’s a world away from the kind of music I create today. Through my teens I moved through a few different bands and genres, gradually shifting towards indie/pop before eventually finding my home in EDM.

When COVID hit, all my live gigs stopped overnight. I already had a small home studio setup, and I knew I needed to keep creating - it’s just part of my DNA. When I stop creating, unease sets in! So I started exploring how singers and songwriters were working during lockdown and noticed there was a huge demand for quality vocals in the EDM world. I began writing and recording toplines from home, collaborating with as many producers as I possibly could online, and eventually releasing my first EDM track in 2020 with an Australian producer.

As the demand grew, I realised I could turn this into a full-time career - starting with work-for-hire collaborations and naturally evolving into royalty-free vocal packs. It became a way to give producers around the world access to the same emotion and songwriting I pour into my own tracks. Since then, I’ve been writing two to three new songs every week, and I’m thrilled to now be releasing Transcending Vocals with the team at Black Octopus Sound - they’ve been absolutely amazing to work with! I’ve got a few other sample packs with them too, so definitely check those out as well.

What inspired the vocal writing on Transcending Vocals? Any artists or techniques that shaped your direction?

It’s 100% spiritually driven. Over the past three years, I’ve been going through a major personal shift. To be honest, I’m in recovery, and this entire vocal pack was born out of that journey. Each song was written during a profound spiritual experience, and every vocal holds a unique spiritual nuance. By tapping into the divine and the unseen, it truly felt like the songs wrote themselves. The themes throughout carry tones of doubt and hope - but ultimately, a deep trust that everything is going to be okay. To be able to share these lyrics with so many people through Splice is an honour. My hope is that they touch people’s souls the same way these experiences have shaped and transformed mine. In a way, I see this pack as more than just vocals - it’s an invitation for producers to channel something deeper in their music. If it helps someone express emotion, find peace, or simply feel understood, then that’s what makes it all worth it.

You’re an incredibly prolific songwriter, what is your process with creating new ideas, and how do you keep up that momentum?

As I mentioned before, creativity is my fuel - it’s what keeps me going in life. Without it, I think I’d be a lost soul! Every time I write a song, it never feels like “work.” It’s something I love doing and something I know I’ll always do; it genuinely feels like my calling. In terms of keeping ideas flowing, I’ve got a few methods. Sometimes I’ll be walking down the street and a lyric or melody just pops into my head. I’ll instantly grab my phone, hum or sing the idea into my voice notes, then bring it back to the studio and build a song around it. All I need is one strong lyric or melody line - whether it’s from a verse, pre-chorus, or chorus - to spark the full track. Other times, I’ll pull up an EDM playlist on Spotify, skip through a few tracks and see what catches my ear. If something inspires me, I’ll use that energy as a creative springboard to make something completely original. And finally, there’s the purest form - starting from absolutely nothing! I love this because it feels like painting on a blank canvas. Building something beautiful from silence and then hearing the finished piece come together is one of the best feelings in the world for me.

What’s your go-to approach for recording, processing, and designing vocal samples? Any tips or tricks you want to share?

These days, my process starts really organically. When I’m writing and building a topline, I’ll sit with my SM58 and throw down rough ideas - melodies, phrasing, lyric flow, etc - just to capture the energy and map out how I’m going to sing the final vocal takes. Once the song feels solid, I’ll move into my vocal booth to track the final takes. I usually record one main vocal and then stack up to five doubles - starting with two in the first chorus, then building to four or five by the second. I always aim for my vocal arrangement to sound dynamic and full even when soloed - almost like a complete song on its own. If it works like that, it’ll sound incredible once the instrumental comes in. After recording, I’ll run everything through Melodyne, then Auto-Tune, followed by some surgical EQ and typically three stages of compression. I rely heavily on the Soundtoys and Waves bundles, and Fresh Air by Slate is one of my go-to plugins. Once the tone is right, I’ll add some subtle stereo widening, then bus all vocals to two delays - one short MS ping-pong and one half-beat longer, panned left and right. I finish it off with a short Lexplate and Antares Vocal Reverb for that final polish. But of course, every song is different so will mix it up with my plug-ins when need be! My biggest tip? Keep it simple and get the sound right from the source. Record in a quiet, treated space, warm up your voice properly, and avoid things like coffee or chocolate before singing. Have water handy to get the least amount of clicks possible in the recording. I’ll usually comp a maximum of 10–12 takes per vocal track. Some people go all in and record 30+, but to me that’s a waste of time. If you can’t get the vocal sounding right in roughly 10 takes, change the key or get someone else to sing it! Treat every take like you’re performing the biggest show of your life. Plugins should enhance your performance - not fix mistakes that could’ve been avoided from the start. Less is more, - keep the human feel in your vocal recordings and let the people truly feel the emotion you are trying to convey.

How does your mindset or workflow differ when creating a sample pack compared to a traditional songwriting session?

If I’m completely honest, I see both as the same thing. As you mentioned, I’m a prolific songwriter, and when I write, I don’t sit down thinking, “This one’s going in a sample pack,” or “This one’s for an exclusive.” I just focus on writing the best song I can. Once it’s finished, I’ll take some space, come back to it with fresh ears, and decide where it fits best - whether that’s a collaboration, on an exclusive offer, or a sample pack. For me, creating a vocal pack is still pure songwriting - it’s just being packaged in a different way. The emotion and craftsmanship are exactly the same. In terms of sessions, I’ve always written the topline solo when it comes to EDM. Back in my band days, I wrote with other musicians, but these days most of my collaboration happens with producers around the world online. It’s been an amazing experience to see how each producer interprets my vocals and builds something unique from them!

Use the button below to download Transcending Vocals by Robbie Hutton today and be sure to check out more amazing packs from Black Octopus.