With my experience with double pedals, youd be much better served buying a cheaper DW 9000 series. Its fantastic hardware, and provides almost perfect beater control.
I'd say it all bounces down to that solemn fact that a drummer's experience level with any given pedal(s) is key.
Outside of a non-funtional design or a plain ole' broken pedal, there is no magic set of bearings, beaters, or springs that you can throw into a pedal that will "solve" anyone's playing issues. $900 for pedal is ludicrous. The only reason I ever considered an AL-2 was because of the extraordinary discount. Before them, I was playing a $200 set of Sonor's...which happen to be the same ones (at least the same design that you see Thomas Lang flying on). Even with the highest bad-assery of the Axis pedal under my feet, it took a loooong time for me to re-adjust to them. It's a leap of faith that the transition to a different pedal in the "unfamilliar" category is going to reap a benefit to your playing.
So...the truth is that you're absolutely right. Most any common drummer, full-time, part-time, pro, beginner, whatever could buy a "mid-level" pedal and blaze like the rest. Die hard PRACTICE is where that solution truly lies. Look at the speed King users of the world...hahaha (just a poke...)
