Congrats on gettin' back in the swing. aa Your turntable will not be the weak link in any set-up you own into the future.
If you are still using the stock felt mat & want an upgrade, Herbie's Way Excellent mat seems to be a good match for our platters. I won't spin without it. It cuts down on static, nothing at all like the grounded Dustbug though.
the directions for the ionoclast, similar to Zerostat, state to pull the trippger a few times then waive the gun over vinyl like a magician for a few seconds.
From my experience, no anti-static gun on the planet will remove the static long enough to prove usefull for vinyl play. Initially you remove the static, but by the end of one sides play its all back in force. the Dustbug eliminates this and speeds up vinyl play (no more pulling the trigger, which is great since that's the one thing my friends rag on me for!).
Save the Zerostat for de-static'ing your cd's & dvd's...makes a big diff & prolongs the life of the drives (maybe) since less static is going in. It also works when pulling a fresh load from the dryer in the winter...a few pulls and my socks don't stick to the sheets...
Last, but certainly not least, clean vinyl & a clean stylus are crucial. Not for sound quality but to ensure you aren't damaging your LP's or cartridges. they do really help SQ, but that's secondary. Purchase a box of Mr. Clean magic erasers and a few 30 cent artists paint brushes from a hardware or craft store. cut off a tiny corner of the ME, shish ka bob it to a toothpick and use this before & after each night of play - being really careful to go from back to front (same way the stylus suspension works). It will keep your diamond shiny, sharp and sparkling - making its useful life a LOT longer. Even with clean LP's, lots of stuff collects on the diamond tip as it plays...and the diamond tip gets quite hot due to friction, and nasty crap adhere's to it easily. Be sure to brush the tip with the artists brush after every ME cleaning...don't want tiny abrasives gettin ground into the grooves. keep the ME corner & brushes (cut off handle so brush is 2" long) in a little ziploc dime bag - don't get them dirty in other words. Also, do not waste your $ on the Zero Dust or Xtreme phono gel...i have both and am selling them. $1 worth of ME & a tiny brush is all you'll ever need. LOTS of info about the ME on audioasuylum, in the vinyl asylum.
vinyl tends to become a folly of silly steps and unnecessary's if you aren't careful...keep it simple & do it right though, and you'll enjoy the effort & investment a whole lot more.
If i were doing this over again, i'd get the anti-skate weight moved & get the Dustbug first, then move forward. Also, be sure that the tt cover is off when playing & even try removing the hinges altogether and then secure the cover at night with 2 small pieces of tape. Removing unnecessary things screwed into your tt gives big increases in dynamics. One way our tables are made affordable is the MDF plinth & 2 cent rubber feet. Lots of things can be done to combat issues with the basic design - and can be put back on when you sell.
GD
