Thanks for the post, John. I'm really working hard on the lessons.
One thing that has really helped me match the filter envelope and cutoff appropriately is using a spectral analyzer on the sound. This mainly works as a - you're not there yet - message to me so I know to keep listening and twiddling nobs. When I hit the next button it shows me all the parameters that are wrong, which speeds me on my way, but sometimes more than I'm looking for. I'm really wanting to train my ear.
For example, quickly being able to identify a patch with a double tone 19 or 31 semitones up. It's cool to try. And it's totally something you can train your ear to do. I want to stop thinking... 'that's just what that patch sounds like' and start thinking 'that higher tone in the patch comes from a doubled oscillator up two octaves'.