Starsky Carr Throws Down: Reliq Hybrid Control Surface Reviewed in the Wild

Starsky Carr wastes no time introducing the Reliq as more than just a fancy box with flashing lights. He calls out its split personality: a 16-in/16-out analog patch matrix, a sequencer, a mixer, and a DAW controller—all stuffed into one slab of hardware. It’s not just for show either; this thing wants to be the heart, brain, and muscle of your rig, whether you’re deep in modular territory or just want to boss your DAW around.

What stands out is that Starsky isn’t reeling off a spec sheet—he’s actually building a real patch while demoing. The Reliq isn’t content to sit pretty; it’s got a joystick, encoders, and enough connectivity to wire up a toaster-fight. It’s the kind of kit that makes you want to pull cables and see what blows up. As he puts it, trying to cover every feature would be “like demoing all of Ableton in one video,” so we’re getting the essentials, straight from the bunker.

The 16×16 analog patch matrix is the Reliq’s not-so-secret weapon. Starsky shows how you can route audio, CV, or whatever signal you fancy, across sixteen ins and outs—turning the box into a digital patchbay on steroids. If you’re the sort who likes to rewire your system mid-jam, this is your playground.

He dives into practical routing, linking up modules like the Erica Synths Black Wavetable VCO and PolyVCF, and mapping them into different blocks. You can even group outputs and trigger changes with the joystick. The sheer number of routing combos is absurd—your creativity will give up long before the matrix does. Seeing it in action trumps any diagram, so get your eyes on the video for the full patch-cable ballet.

Starsky doesn’t pull punches with the sequencer—this isn’t a simple 16-step affair. Each track gets its own LFO and envelope, with automation, ratchets, probability, and chord modes thrown in for good measure. It’s not just about basic patterns; you can program proper evolving sequences, modulate almost anything, and lock in those weird happy accidents.

There’s a level of depth here that makes most grooveboxes look like Fisher-Price toys. You want per-step automation? Sorted. Want to chain scenes or get lost in menu-diving? The Reliq’s sequencer will keep you busy for days. Starsky’s walkthrough is dense, and honestly, some of this you need to see in motion—the menus are deep, and the modulation options go way beyond what you’d expect from a box this size.

Integration with Ableton Live and Bitwig isn’t an afterthought—it’s a headline feature. Starsky demos two-way DAW control, making the Reliq a genuine hardware front-end for your software setup. Clip launching, transport control, even feedback from the DAW comes back to the Reliq. If you’re tired of staring at a laptop screen, here’s your excuse to keep your hands on real knobs and faders.

MIDI and USB connectivity options abound, so you can sync up your entire rig—hardware and software—without sweating compatibility. The seamless swap between stand-alone hardware and DAW integration is what makes the Reliq a modern studio street weapon. Still, the real magic is in seeing it work in real time, especially when Starsky starts chaining modes together.