Turntable noobie...what advice do you have?

Thank you everyone for the fantastic advice.  It has been very positive and I really appreciate it.  

As a nerd, I tend to research things before I pull the trigger.  The RPM-3 with the Amethyst seemed to be decently reviewed yet not break the bank.  Plus I like the like of that turntable, especially in red (which is what I am getting).  Not a traditional thing but certainly an attention getter.  

I haven't used a record player for close to 40 years and then it was usually in a plastic suitcase and playing an Alvin and Chipmunks record.  This should be a wee bit different of an experience. Also used my parent's 8 track back then and there is no way I will get one of those even if they start to make a comeback (I really hope not). 

I have ordered a sweeper and will look at getting a cleaner in short order. I will admit I read some posts last nights about a Degritter Ultra Sonic and while it seems great, the price seemed rather steep for someone starting out.  The Record Doctor seems more in line for where I am at and what the rest of my equipment is.  At least for now anyway. Since I do a lot of other stuff by hand, like making coffee, I may start cleaning the records that way as well but I want to get more familiar with them before I do. 

 I will be reading through Goldmine Grading Guide after this so I can be more informed about what I am looking at when I go used.  I will also be taking a look at Discogs.  I had mentioned Music Millennium and was planning a trip down there this weekend. But it looks like I have some other stops to make thanks to some locals who know about shops around town I didn't have a clue existed.  

Thanks again for everything thus far.  I have been trying to give back to the community so I have posted a review of my Statements and plan on doing one of the the Voyager GAN amp when it has more hours on it.  I will do the same with the turntable, cartridge, and phone preamp when things start to settle in a bit.  

You all are awesome.  This thread has continued to be some fantastic advice.  I did scan the last few months of threads and didn’t see anything like this.  I am happy to have asked for advice and I hope some others receive the same benefit from reading it that I have. 

At this point I have ordered a sweeper, a record clamp, anti-static sleeves, and a cleaning kit (for both the record and the stylus).  I also have a brush coming in with the turntable and preamp. There seems to be a lot of debate on different cleaning machines and processes, and I need to ruminate/research more before I pull the trigger on purchasing one.  I think it is good to learn to do it by hand too.  To me it is similar to learning to drive on a manual, change your tire, or to properly polish dress shoes.  Every gentleman should know how to do these things.  Not that I am a gentleman of course.   By the time I am more proficient cleaning them by hand, I should not only be tired of doing that way but also know more about the different types of cleaning machines and what I am willing to invest in one. 

I have also read up on the grading of records which in a lot of ways sounds much like coin grading (if anyone is a numismatist here).  And I have started reading the Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records.  The copy I downloaded is close to 200 pages so please bear with me as I digest that treatise. Once that is done, I will look at the Vinyl Press blog by Bill Hart. 

I am still looking at getting a dust cover and a tone arm lifter (Pro-ject Safety Raiser or otherwise).  Anything else in the immediate future I should be looking at? 

I have already spoken to my gf about going to some of the mentioned Portland area shops this weekend to check them out. Oh, and I am totally down for a PDX meeting up.  I am even happy to host if you all want to come down to Milwaukie for a BBQ afterward. I do have a decent streaming rig at my desk which is where the turntable is going (exclusively a music system) so we could even do some A/B comparisons. Okay, at least decent to me. 

As I have read the debates about cleaning methods and static reduction, I started to think about the power and the grounding. So I looked at my AMP and my DAC/Preamp and there is no ground screw like I have seen on receivers I’ve owned. I double checked pictures of the RPM 3 Carbon and the Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono and both have ground screws. Am I supposed to connect the 2 or do I need to ground them both elsewhere? If so, where?

Also, an isolation system was mentioned.  My current plan is to put it on top of my DAC.  The DAC is on my Amp and both are on a wood file cabinet a couple of feet to the side of my left speaker.  I am considering getting another cabinet and putting it to the other side, about the same distance from the right speaker.  I do have some silicon isolation feet. I was thinking about getting a sheet of granite (scrap from countertops), putting it on those feet, and then the turntable on top of that.  

The turntable and phono stage are due in tomorrow so you know what I will be doing tomorrow evening. :-) 

Alright, the RPM 3 Carbon was delivered as well as the Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono.  I set the turntable up and the the stylus pressure using the little balancing stylus pressure gauge that came with it.  I have a digital scale but I wanted to use the other method first. I hooked up the wiring and connected it all to my amp.  I cleaned my Purple Rain album, put it on and started the motor.  Everything is move correctly so I positioned the arm/stylus and used the little level to drop it.  Low and behold...MUSIC!!!  Unfortunately it was Alvin and the Chipmunks doing a cover of Prince's Purple Rain.  So I lifted the arm and stopped the motor. I then moved the belt to the other spindle and tried again.  Much better this time.  Prince sounded much more like himself. 

I am currently listening to Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon and it sounds great.  Some pops here and there but certainly nothing that takes away from the music.  However, I went to adjust the volume and realized that I do that through the pre-amp/DAC which is not in this chain.   My amp does does not have its own volume control.  I checked the player and I don't see one nor do I see anything on the Mobile Fidelity.  DOH! Does anyone have an idea to make this work?  The only thing I can think of is to find cables that will go from RCA (phone side) to 3 pin XLR so that I can connect it into my pre-amp/DAC.