Make Noise Bruxa: A Patchable Pathogen in the Modular Ecosystem

The Make Noise Bruxa arrives as a modular incarnation of the Strega’s core, promising a new context for its unique sonic DNA. James Cigler opens the video by reflecting on how the essence of Strega, previously locked into a semi-modular box, now finds itself adapting to the wider world of Eurorack. This transplantation isn’t just about moving circuits—it’s about seeing how the module interacts with a new ecosystem of signals and patch possibilities.

Rather than pigeonholing Bruxa as a mere lo-fi delay, the presentation quickly pivots to its broader creative potential. The module’s behaviour is described as pathogen-like, integrating itself into a patch and evolving the sound in unexpected ways. This sets the stage for a series of patches that highlight Bruxa’s ability to morph and adapt, depending on what you feed it and how you modulate its parameters.

Cigler’s first patch, dubbed “analog granular,” isn’t granular in the digital sense, but it borrows the approach of smearing and stretching arpeggiated patterns into lush, harmonic pads. By carefully balancing the timing of arpeggios with Bruxa’s delay, and introducing clock divisions from modules like Tempi, the result is a pad that feels both washed out and harmonically rich. The blend control allows the original sequence to peek through, while post-processing with a filter such as QPAS accentuates the evolving character.

The next demonstration, “the howler,” explores Bruxa’s self-oscillation. By pushing the decay to its limits and injecting small inputs, the module begins to howl—its feedback loop shaped by a filter that isn’t simply tacked onto the end, but woven into the feedback path itself. This design means that tweaking filter, time, and absorb parameters yields complex, noise-laden textures. Feeding this chaos through QPAS further sculpts the sound, and Cigler notes that some of his favourite modular snare sounds have emerged from using Bruxa as a noise source.

Throughout these patches, modulation is key: time divisions, gating, and feedback manipulation all contribute to Bruxa’s evolving timbres. The video makes it clear that this is a module for those who enjoy hands-on exploration and aren’t afraid to destabilise their patches in pursuit of new textures.

The final segment offers practical tips for getting the most out of Bruxa. Sub-octave or audio-rate modulation of the filter is highlighted as a way to emphasise lo-fi character and add growl to the fundamental, depending on the input signal. Modulating the time parameter with short pulses or envelopes introduces further instability, lending a wobbly, unpredictable edge to the sound.

Cigler also recommends creative use of Bruxa’s CV outputs—not just for post-processing, but for altering the input timbre itself. The interplay between absorb, filter, and external modulation is presented as a recipe for discovering new resonant peaks and textures, especially when working with sequenced material. The message is clear: Bruxa rewards those who experiment with its outputs as much as its inputs.