Turntable noobie...what advice do you have?

I use the Manual Cleaning Method on the very informative Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records.

The Revision 3 extends the information on offer and does make a very cost effective Anti Static device known off.

It also offers a very well presented description on particulate in the groove, and whether lodged in a outer or inner groove, if there is a difference in the detriment when the stylus encounters it.

Additionally there is a description of stylus wear in a LP without contamination that can cause detriment to the stylus. The math of the above is above what I will usually work with, which leaves myself to trust the information with an open mind.  It does suggest a thoroughly cleaned LP with Particulate removed to less than 10 microns is a good place to be.

I am again of the view using the supplied information the Manual Cleaning Method is able to achieve this.

Other Methods and especially USM machines less than a 120Kh are not looking likely to function as a cleaning method produce the less than 10 micron particulate removal and achieve the level of purification with certainty.

Other automated methods of cleaning, will be looking most likely to be cleaning solution dependant, to attain depth of soak into the groove required to achieve the removal of less than 10 micron particulate.

As said, I am not aware of any cleaning methods I have used, that has achieved the presence of clean that is perceived during a replay of a manual clean method following the documents advisories. 

Arg.. I hate when I write on my phone and I loose a good post..

Anyway here is the short version.

To get the full performance from the line contact stylus that you have bought, both on clean or dirty records 😜 then fix SRA/VTA setup.

Those that use conical stylus can use the old tip to "put the tone arm parallel to the record surface" or whatever when there with conical it doesn't matter at all what angle that is used.

(Strange that nobody has said that but probably it is more fun to buy yet another machine (USC) First make a good setup.)

@bdp24 , And you can get a conductive grounded sweep arm that not only discharges your record but sweeps the incidental dust away from the stylus when playing for.... hold your breath.....$30.00. This video is a little goofy and it neglected to mention that the right pivot to spindle distance is 7 inches. It also tracks better if you have  the pivot end 1/4" high. 

I did not say clean records are not important. What I said was new records do not need to be cleaned. They only need the incidental dust swept away. Think about it. The stampers are used over and over again. I think it is something like 1000 records per stamper pair. If there was any contamination on the stampers ridges it would seriously screw up at least the high frequency performance of the record if not worse. There is absolutely nothing in the grooves of a new record just some dust on the surface which can be easily swept away. The cleaning industry had to create this myth to get more of us to buy cleaning equipment. Used record buyers would not be enough of a market. Many new records are noisy, bad pressings. The noise is imbedded in the vinyl. You can not clean it away but, this adds to the myth anyway. 

One ridiculous thing I see over and over again in the VC is putting their bookshelf speakers on the same surface as their turntable is on!  Huge no-no and should be obvious to anyone doing that!  The sound will distort and feedback from lack of isolation!  Dont be that guy!