Am I going completely mad or...

I play the fast parts with heels up, but when i play april ethereal for example my feet hurt after some time.. can someone tell me how his/her pedal is set? These springs... soft or hard? the beater, far away or near the drumhead??

i got a DW 6000
 
I couldn't tell you, because I have a p.o.s. Pacific pedal.

However, your feet aren't the problem. To play heel up, you have to shift your entire body weight to your tailbone, and practically stomp to get precision. To go fast requires rapid reflex bursts that are rarely uniform.

Playing heel down is a chore, but I get precision and I have enough lower body strength to make it loud.

Double bass drums should never overpower your set or the music. They should be the same volume as the rest of the drums. If you want them to come out louder in a live or studio setting, adjust the mic.
 
I'm a drummer myself, and I REALLY prefere heels up. You gotta have some SICK leg-structure if your gonna play double bass pedal with your heels down. :)