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Souls End Interview

Hello Bret.  Or should I call you Souls?

 

Either is fine just don’t call me Shirley.  Soulsend is a name I used in my first RPG “Vampire the Masquerade”.  It has stuck with me ever since.

This is our first site interview and I want to start off by thanking you for agreeing to it.  So, what got you started modding and how long have you been doing it?

 

It started roughly 3 years ago when a friend and co-worker showed me a picture of the (at that time new) Antec 1035B case.  During this time I was still perfectly happy with my Compaq Presario and had never built my own rig.  Needless to say, we made a trip to our local Compusa and bought two of them that same day.  I’m pretty sure I managed to throw just about every mod possible at that poor case plus a couple of ideas of my own.  You can see it at http://www.soulsend.com/raven.htm.  I had a load of fun with that rig and it was a big learning experience. 

 

Custom window etching.

 

 

Your website, www.SoulsEnd.com, I can’t recall exactly where I found linkage but I do recall the mod mentioned that put me there, it was your guide on modding an LCD screen into a 5.25 bay and rigging it up as a secondary, bay mounted flip out monitor.  A very impressive mod, I am going to add one to my case… somehow.  How exactly did you come up with the idea of adapting a visor mounted automotive LCD into a case bay?

 

I noticed in the galleries a few modders who put color LCD panels in the front of there rigs to run winamps, desktop extensions, ect… This idea really got my attention but I wanted to take it one step further.  I think we all agree that stealth drive bays on the aluminum cases looks sweet so I figured why not try to stealth an LCD panel.  Hell… How hard could it be? (Learned my lesson real quick). So after multiple trips to homedepot and a week or so later, I had a finished product.

You also show step-by-step on your site how to install the LCD screen into the PC, most people would be satisfied by just doing the mod and then posting their case to a couple of online case galleries. What was the motivating factor that drove you to create a website dedicated to sharing your modding knowledge and experience with others in the modding community?

 

The amount of e-mail I received after posting pictures of “Teaser” at futuremark and coolcasegallery was insane.  Not exaggerating, I got roughly 25 to 50 e-mails a day for few months (still get a handful daily after almost a year) and they all pretty much said the same thing…  “That LCD rocks…how did you do that?”

 
 

Flip out bay mounted LCD goodness!

At that point I figured my next logical step was to put together a site that detailed some of the “how to” and “what the hell was I thinking”.  Also, It’s a lot easier to direct someone to a website then to copy and paste a brief run down of how I did it.

Aside from the LCD guide there are also a couple of other kick ass modding guides on your site and I have to admit that all of the case mods and how-to guides shown on your site are of CaseModGod caliber.   Are there any other future case mods planned that we can look forward to seeing at Souls End?

My next project is a bit of a copy.  Not too happy to say that but what can you do.  It’s going to be a self-contained external water-cooling unit.  Granted it will have a few twists.  I’m also planning something with a server cube (Lots of room to play with).  Possibly a homemade phase change unit.

With the PC continually heading towards a smaller and smaller form factor, what is your take on the future of case modding… is it a dying hobby?

 

I personally think case modding is anything but dying.  The fact that PCs are getting small just means we need to get more creative.  I’ve already seen someone H2O a shuttle.  How cool is that????  You can go to your local “Geek” store now and buy everything from Cold Cathode lighting to CPU waterblocks.  Case mods aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.  I’m still waiting for the day when my Dad calls me up for advice on how to install a window in his Hewlett-Packard. 

Some of us here at CaseModGod like to have a nice cold brew when we mod, do you enjoy a cold one when you mod?  What is your beverage of choice?

 

Actually, when I’m working on any of my (counting on my hands) 5 rigs, my drink of choice coffee.  I’ve been hooked on the bean for 15 years now (damn I’m getting old).  My “cold” brew of choice when I’m out is a Killians Irish Red.  It’s got to be the Mick in me.

 

    

Custom cooling solution.

 

If you had any advice to give to someone just getting into the hobby of case modding what would it be?

 

The number one thing I would suggest to anyone getting into modding would be to understand how the computer works before you hack into it.  I’ve seen it too many times where someone who doesn’t know 12 volts from a hole in the ground tries to install a fan controller.  Now they wonder why the computer “wont turn on” or “It works for awhile then just shuts off”... 

Good advice there.  And finally, if case modding were a flavor of ice cream then what flavor would your mods represent and why? 

 

Breyers all natural Coffee.  Damn that bean.  I swear my life revolves around it.  Juan Valdez for El Presidenta!!!!!!!!!!!

Juan is the man and coffee ice cream is a good representative choice, abstractly it could also mean that your mods are strong like the juice of the bean.  Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, I look forward to your future modding ventures.