I just purchased VDL 2 and just wanted to now if I needed anything extra to make it work. I have Finale 2003 and 2005 but other than that what do I need to know to use this program?

Read the manual and then read the many other posts about the same topic.  There is a forum search feature and a FAQ section for VDL2.  I'm not trying to be rude but your questions are easily answered with a few seconds of browsing the web.

I agree - read the posts and the manual.  Welcome to the club though.

Seth Hendershot?

No, Seth Housman.

Just curious.  Welcome.

Yes, welcome Seth! There are system requirements on the main VDL2 page, as well as FAQs. My best advice would be to have lots of RAM (over 1GB recommended), and a zippy processor on your computer. Other than that, a MIDI keyboard is extremely helpful (like the O2 or Keystation 49e), and of course a notation program or sequencer where you'll actually write your music...

Edit: Figured it out. Now I just can't figure out how to audition the sounds. It seems like i get one big right hand tenor line.

[quote author=seth_h link=topic=727.msg3059#msg3059 date=1124254796]
Edit: Figured it out. Now I just can't figure out how to audition the sounds. It seems like i get one big right hand tenor line.
[/quote]

Be sure the ONLY thing that set to ON for your MIDI-INPUT (in VDL2) is the virtual midi cable that you're using between Finale and VDL2. And in Finale, be sure that MIDI>MIDI Thru is set to ";smart."; If this is the case, you can audition sounds directly from within finale by selecting the speedy entry tool, clicking on the staff you wish to audition (so it's framed), then tapping on your midi keyboard.

Since I don't have a midi keyboard will it work with the Kontakt interface? I click on speedy entry and frame the measure then click on the keyboard in kontakt and get nothing.

[quote author=seth_h link=topic=727.msg3103#msg3103 date=1125249793]
Since I don't have a midi keyboard will it work with the Kontakt interface? I click on speedy entry and frame the measure then click on the keyboard in kontakt and get nothing.
[/quote]
By clicking on the Kontakt Player in this way, you are basically switching applications, meaning, Finale is no longer active in the foreground. To enter notes into Finale, you have to be working directly in it.

I've heard it's possible to use a floating on-screen keyboard utility that you can point and click without having to leave the current program, but I'm uncertain on how reliable this method would be. There's mention of it here: https://www.tapspace.com/forums/index.php?topic=490.0

For the time spent figuring out how to enter notes by pointing and clicking on-screen, it's probably just worth purchasing a MIDI keyboard. You can get an M-Audio Keystation 49e from Tapspace or other places on the web - maybe even Ebay? They're ridiculously inexpensive for the time they'll save you.