Turntable noobie...what advice do you have?

An enthusiastic 2nd on the recommendation of @tomic601 and others for the reading (several times) of the encyclopedic tome on record cleaning found on Bill Hart's website. Indispensable!

As for dealing with the static charge found on many used record shop-"cleaned" LP's (and even some new/sealed LP's):

I bought the original (white) Zerostat when it was first introduced, and for years suffered with it's 'fiddly-ness" (you have to squeeze the trigger veerrry slowly). Then the Nakaoka Kilavolt No. 103 was introduced. Hallelujah! At least as effective, and much easier to use.

Unfortunately the Kilavolt went out of production quite a while back, but there is an even better anti-static product now available: the Furutech Destat III. However, it is priced at an absurd $399! Music Direct currently has it on sale for $329, and if you watch ebay closely you may get as lucky as I and find one for the $200 I paid a coupla years ago.

Just getting into this hobby and this thread is hugely informative! 

Question: how do I identify if a record was recorded digitally or if it is fully analog?

e.g. I am planning to get this when it finally comes out, but I don't see any indication of that important distinction: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WH59NGS/ref=sm_n_au_dka_US_pr_fal_0_1

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. 

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.)