Receive congratulations from listeners for listeners

Good day to all.
We decided at our radio station (I already wrote about it ) to arrange a New Year event.
Call, leave a New Year’s voice greetings and on New Year’s Eve it will sound on the air, such congratulations from your own listeners.

It was an advertising text, but for those who want to know some implementation details, welcome:

I think for those people who deal with Internet radio, this will be useful and not only in the new year.

A small digression, even though I am a supporter of nix systems. but under the nixes I didn’t get a stone flower, and the main motivation was “it was necessary yesterday” (the idea came to mind on the 30th, 2 already started)
Software Selection:
Windows 2008 R2 as Azure VDS, well, I don’t have the opportunity to keep my home computer for 24 hours under this
Skype business - because every second one has it.
Pamela for Skype is an answering machine, the free version supports recording up to 15 minutes.
U-Serv is an FTP server with which we pick up recordings. Trial version is 30 days. Yes, you can use others, but there was no time to look. set, what I remember.
Virtual Audio Cable - to create a “sound device” in the system. Trial supports a maximum of 3 cables, and puts a message in the connection. This does not bother us, because in fact, sound does not pass through it. And you only need “what would be”
LogMeIn - for remote control.

Initially, only Windows, ftp, skype and answering machine were planned. The rest came out due to some features of the operating system in the virtual machine.

So. Let's go this short and fascinating way together.

We get VDS (at the same time I tried WIndows 2012, but I was too much surprised, and climbed to 2008), set skype, set Pamela, ftp, do the setting (Everywhere is minimal: the pamela automatically catches the launched skype, so it needs to be set only to what conditions keep a record of what to lose (I hope you didn’t forget to find a girl with a good goal in order to make her a “girl on the phone”) and where to store the recorded files. On Skype, you must receive calls from everyone. FTP looks only at the directory where records. And sun e at startup).
Testing time comes, and the first difficulties begin.
We dial the number, do not pick up the phone, are surprised and climb to watch what is happening on the other side.
And here comes enlightenment. “A sound reproducing device was not found,” yes, you understood correctly, Skype will not receive calls if there is no sound card (by the way, without an input device it will not speak).
Virtual Audio Cable comes quickly to memory. In addition to a useful function, mixing the inputs and outputs of various sound devices (in particular, we used it when the presenter is separated from the soundman (i.e., one (two, three) people speak, and one specially trained one brings them into a single whole and imposes music). VAC actually creates a virtual audio device. Remember, done, and here comes the second surprise related to the implementation when RDP is running, if you are not using standard rpd then you are in luck. If you do server management through it, you will see the same picture . VAC post ene, in Device Manager, you can see it, not in the recording and playback devices, you will not see it (on Skype too).
For several hours, Google was tormented by various requests, various versions of virtual sound cards were checked, but everywhere the result was the same. For example, the recommendation on one forum to use VAC 3 versions did not help at all, because he refused to be installed.
All the same, a solution was found at night in an unknown Portuguese forum, which said something like this: “dudes, it’s all about RDP, namely the implementation of sound redirection from a remote host (and vice versa), do not use RDP, use Logmein.”
Eyes were open. the only thought sitting in the brain was little censored, but still took advantage of the advice.
Registration, software installation. reboot, login via web interface, and yes. Skype happily sees VAC and says that he is happy with everything.
The number is dialed with a trembling hand, and the metallic voice of the answering machine is heard in the ears, a man with a clear conscience and with a full face goes to sleep.

The next day, a greeting message is recorded and advertising is sent to thematic forums.

A simple pearl script is also written, which via sftp draws out recorded greetings and stores it on the server where the stream is formed.

Ahead remains message pre-moderation and setting up liquidsoap for New Year’s broadcast.

Well, for those who want to leave their New Year's greetings, here's Skype to you: wasteland.radio
Congratulations are accepted 24 hours, until December 30.