turntable recommendations for a vinyl newbie...

About $2500-$3000 would give you a sound that would be at least completive with your digital. Are you sure you want do do it? LP costs have gone way up since I amassed my collection. The above does not include a phono stage and was figuring buying used. There is no use comparing a cheap TT to your current digital gear. I prefer LP but I have several $K in my digital and bought it at low prices at that. Save your effort on the Micro, they made good tables [I was one of their dealers] but this one is not one of them.

There is a crazy sale now for a Denon DP72L = $399 !!!!!!
Dynavector P-75 mkII Phono Pre Amp = $450
Dynavector Karat 17D2 = $300

TW table the best!!

I dont have an equipment recommendation, but I agree with Tbg et al. I tried a budget analog setup (spending about your budget, but new) and have to say it was very disappointing for the most part.

My second attempt cost quite a bit more, but it is a MUCH different, dramatically better experience. I am coming to prefer it to digital more and more (as i get better at setting the table up, acquire more LPs, dropped more $ on a cleaning machine, etc), but there is still a lot of room for improvement in my analog gear.

Bottom line is - I think you gotta pony up to get the most from analog, especially if you want it to improve over an already good digital setup.

Assuming your Atmasphere pre has a phono stage (if it does not, all bets are off), I would suggest getting a "vanilla" Technics SL1200 (or one of the variations of that table) for around $400, maybe even less if you buy it used. Then get yourself a lightly used Shelter 501, and you will have less than $1000 invested, which you should be able to recoup if you "bail out." In my opinion, while this may not equal, much less surpass, your digital rig, that table and cartridge combo will tell you pretty quickly if you want to pursue vinyl or not. If you do, that's a table and cartridge that is way more than tolerable until you can afford to upgrade down the line.

Don't worry too much about the rising cost of vinyl. Part of the fun of vinyl is finding good used records for a dollar or two on eBay or in your local record shop. You'll hit some duds from time to time, but many of them are perfectly playable, especially if cleaned properly. Of course, you will need a good cleaning machine before too long. The VPIs do a pretty good job for $300-400 used.

All of this, IMO, of course. Vinyl takes some time and effort, but it is worth it to me. By the way, I lived with the same combination I just suggested to you for quite some time before I upgraded to the Well Tempered Amadeus. I thought it was a ridiculously good value.