Returning to Vinyl


Now planning a return to vinyl listening after a nearly 40-year hiatus and need some basic help. Although I do still own a functional mid-fi system (Goldring GR1.2 TT with preinstalled arm, Goldring Elektra MM cart, Cambridge Duo phono pre), long gone are the battery-powered vibrating stylus cleaning brush, the Nitty Gritty record cleaning machine, the LAST LP treatment solution with the big wide application brush, and even the MHS archive-quality replacement sleeves. I know there are several cleaning machines on the market and am willing to spend something reasonable (<$1k), but beyond that I'm clueless.
Q1. How necessary is a cleaning machine for an occasional (say, 3x/mo.) vinyl listener with irreplaceable LPs?
Q2. If needed, which product delivers most bang for the buck? 
Q3. Same questions re stylus cleaning devices.
Q4. Same questions re record preservation treatments.
Q5. Tracking/alignment/pressure have not been checked or adjusted since acquisition despite two moves. Are there still shops performing these services? 

Advance thanks for all useful advice.
hickamore

Showing 7 responses by hickamore

Most helpful! Having fun and enjoying the music (recordings) is my aim. Can't make it a career myself, but eager to learn from those who can.
armstrod
Looks like a nifty device which maybe even I can learn to use. Some DIY will be necessary for me, living far from metro hotbeds and not wanting to haul delicate TTs around on road trips. But where do I find mfr's recommended VTF for any particular cartridge? Maybe online somewhere? Need to begin by cleaning and optimizing the cart I've got before considering upgrades.
mijostyn
Got 300-400 LPs, some duplicates and/or different pressings, virgin vinyl, half-speed mastered, etc.
Will definitely check Elusive Disc, which I'd never heard of. Last time I spun vinyl, there was no such thing as a website to find such information.
wyoboy
Will check the referenced paper. If I end up doing more and more vinyl, a machine will certainly become the right move.
Many thanks to all for the tips and encouragement. Will definitely follow them up. Believe the right time has come. While vinyl is a hassle, I'm finding streaming falls well short of audio nirvana and is not without its own frustrations. Synching streaming apps with iPad -- !%^&!* Can't help wondering: six months from now, will I be creating playlists dubbed to cassette tapes as I did in the 1970s? Just discovered that TEAC still sells one, and for that matter I've got an old Rotel that sounds better than it deserves to. (Can't afford R2R, from what I'm reading).

So much shared experience here, and all for free, what a bonanza! Absorbing every word I'm reading from you veterans who know the way. Key accessories will have been ordered by this time Monday, and some old record spun to get me oriented.