Tuning the FAT MAN

[Xyplex2 at aol.com]

since I am suposedly TONE DEAF I never really cared about tuning it.

 But now that I am in a band my fellow musicians want it tuned.  All of the
trim pots I think are bad and I will be soldering 3 1k pots and 1 10k pots to
the back of my custom box.  I love this thing but it just doesn't want to be
tuned. 

If anybody has any suggestions on how to fix this problem it would be
helpfull.

Question #2  has anybody made a VCO from a 555 timer.  There is a radioshack
book that gives a real basic schematic of one.  Is there a better one that I
can build for under $30?  I know that the CEM chip costs $15 dollars from
onchip but I am really broke.  

Question #3  This may sound like the stupidest question there is but, do you
need an envelope follower to make a vcf work as a stand alone unit for
connecting it to a sampler output ( like a EPS )  or should I use an
amplified E.Q. with a mid range sweep combined with a limmiting circuit?
 What would be the most effective and cost efficient one.

       I know I am just a novice surrounded by experts but I have noticed
that everybody is really supportive and helps everybody learn and experiment.
 I have yet to see any jerks that are in every other list that I have either
been in or am on.

Sorry about the mispellings