Thoughtful Things launches Kickstarter campaign for AI-powered Engram sampler — The Verge

Music startup Thoughtful Things has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its first instrument — the Engram sampler and groovebox. The device uses artificial intelligence to process incoming audio and create new sounds. It is intended for experimental sound design rather than automatically generating finished songs, The Verge reports.

Local AI model

Engram does not connect to the internet and runs on a compact local AI model. According to the Kickstarter page, Thoughtful Things developed this model in-house and trained it specifically for the device.

The company says it trained the audio models on open datasets containing only audio licensed for commercial use, including CC-BY or similar licenses. Thoughtful Things also says it has not trained, and does not plan to train, the models on non-commercial, pirated, or stolen data.

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The company plans to open-source Engram's firmware so users can modify it or upload their own models to the device.

Experiments with sound

In the Kickstarter video, Thoughtful Things founder Evan Keen asks Engram by voice to create a “piano.” In response, the device produces a glitchy sound that only remotely resembles a piano. Keen calls Engram “a field recorder for latent space” and a tool for exploring AI hallucinations and experimental sound design.

The development also used an approach inspired by circuit bending: Engram allows users to tune and even deliberately disrupt the operation of its compact AI models. For Kickstarter, the company is releasing a limited batch of devices priced from $675. This amount is listed as a 30% discount, so Engram's retail price is estimated at $850–$900, although the company has not officially announced it.