Turntable noobie...what advice do you have?

Connect the TT ground to the phono stage ground. You do not need a special wire. A piece of solid copper 24 gauge insulated will do!

A few comments. Cleaning new records is important to keep future static down. A new uncleaned record after a few months of play will develop static / dust faster than one that has been cleaned - both kept in the same sleeve - that’s why we clean new records. I do think a good method of recording to digital is important - and I have been collecting records for 35 years and will never stop.  Once you have bought the record you will get more from your investment if you can switch between formats and still listen when you don’t have the time (or steady hand) to fire up the analog rig. Tascam makes a good DSD ripper. I only have time to catalog about 20% of my collection and put it on shuffle when working around the house.  According to Jriver, 20% is about 43 days of music. 

I have built many variants of a Support Structure for a TT.

My experiences of trialing different materials has created a method for producing a structure that always utilises Granite as the Base Tier, I have no concerns if this Tier is seated onto a Cork Pad, I have found the use of it has a attractive influence when used as a footer in a variety of situations.

I have always achieved a set up that if totally satisfactory by using a Two Tier Sub Plinth as the minimum, built of a rigid structure. This has been the preferred method over other options, such a Wall Mounted Shelf and suspension of the base platform from a Wall Mounted Shelf.

The use of Granite as the lowest tier is in my view a very good place to build from, and will be a good place to initially seat the TT.

Do not overlook the need to have a rigid structure under the Granite.

Also keep in mind that your environment selected to set up your TT is unique, energies transferred within it, are most likely not the same as any other TT users environment.

Methods adopted to control energies transferred within the environment,  will have a impact unique to your situation, being inquisitive about the choices available can bring great benefits, over time, a lot of different materials can be experimented with for almost Zero Outlay and a very attractive mounting method can be discovered.

My Cabinet Floor Standing and Stand Mount Loudspeakers when used, are always on a Two Tier Plinth, with Granite as the lowest tier and Kitchen Worktop Chipboard as the upper tier, with Spike Separation.

The Speakers are seated onto a suspension footer. I know chipboard as a upper tier has worked very satisfactorily with my TT mounting method in the past.    

Nice to hear from you again cleeds. How's the wife and kids?

No, pressing plants are not clean room and as I stated in a earlier post there is always some incidental dust on record and it varies a lot from almost nothing to painfully obvious. But, incidental dust can be brushed away with any good record brush. I use my sweep arm. The only problem with the sweep arm is when you lift it at the end of the record it will leave a little pile of dust in the runout area. I keep an Ortofon carbon brush handy to brush that away. As I have stated a million times there is no other environmental contamination that can be cleaned out of the grooves. Unfortunately, what happens I think is that the stampers become contaminated with dust so that by the end of the run they are stamping dust marks into the vinyl resulting in noisy records, then there is contaminated vinyl. I have tried over the years several times, in different ways including ultrasound to "clean" the noise away and it does not do anything. Since I only play records I purchased new and I use a sweep arm with a dust cover I hardly ever have to clean my stylus which is good because Lyra stylus cleaner is more expensive than gold.

I was just given a load of 78 rpm records so I have purchased a record cleaning machine. After studying the problem for 6 months I have ordered a Clearaudio Double Matrix Pro. Why? It uses fresh fluid for each cleaning and vacuums everything off the record leaving it bone dry and free of any contaminant. Air drying or blow drying are unacceptable. If you let distilled water dry on a flat dark surface you will see a residue. Distilled water is not contaminant free. the Pro cleans both sides at the same time and it is extremely well made. I will use it on a few noisy new records and see what happens. I will record a song to the computer both before and after cleaning to study the results. I have not had this capability before so this will be fun and informative. I hope you will enjoy seeing or hearing the results.  

Yes- to follow all the above advice, you will have to quit your job, get rid of your girlfriend and spend all of your time and money dealing with analog playback. This has happened here time and time again where the geezers here front-load a newbie with so much information that you’re afraid to play a record without endless rituals and equipment. I guarantee you that nobody here started out this way. Yes you do need a carbon-fiber brush and some stylus cleaner and a basic record cleaning machine is not a bad idea, but don’t go crazy in the beginning. You don’t even know if you like playing records yet. Take a breath.