Technique and tuning...
Go through Stick Control with your feet. You can do this with your feet on the floor, or with a double pedal. Start really slowly, heel down and let the beater come off of the head. It's important to first build up ankle strength and coordination, then you'll be ready to play heel up. Play each exercise for a minute, one page per week, upping the tempo every day before moving on to the next page...
Tuning wise I get a lot more volume from a kick with no hole in the reso side, and the only muffling from the batter side (Evans EQ, etc.) - nothing inside the drum. I like the EQ because they chill out the sustain without killing projection. I also tension up the bass more than most people - it makes the drum resonate more, which makes it much louder. If you let the beater come off of the head, that extra sustain also helps... Finally, experiment with pedal tension, I found dialing it a little tighter helps get the beater off of the head, and gives more power/volume.
Hope that helps!