Ive played all my life.... It's the one thing I am really good at.
As for tuning listen to Brads advise.
I too like a tight snare sound. I tighten just like Brad said, and tighten the top head as well pretty much to absolute torque, then apply the internal muffle till desired.
One of the more impotant things is going to be your drum heads. They make a world of difference, and I assume that you are using the PACIFIC heads that came with the kit.
If you have the money a great investment would be some coated EVANS heads, or the next best would be a REMO pinstripe series.
As for tuning, a most important application is going to be muffling the drum, otherwise you will have a hideous ring. Most serious studio drummers, myself included will use the "po' mans muffle" as opposed to the plastic rings that sit on the head. Personally I dont like the plastic rings. I use a piece of napkin or paper towel about 3 or 4 ply, in a 2x2" square. I then use electrical tape around all four edges of the paper and seat it on or right next to the rim on the outer side of the drum head. This will take away the unwanted ring, especially on the deeper shells that your Pacific probubly has. It doesnt look pretty but for studio, or amature playing it obviously doesnt matter.
I would turn the top head of your toms until somewhat tought, then adjust the bottom head secondly. Then between the two heads adjust like Brad suggested until you reach the desired note.
For the bass drum, a small pillow, blanket, or even a heavy rug works magic. It will take some adjusting and is much easier with two people; one on the pedal, another fooling with the muffle on the other side.
It's best to tune the bass drum to the low E on the bass guitar, and work the toms from there according to personal preferance.
I prefer a Jazz/Fusion style setup wich works best for my playing style. It would have a larger(deeper) bass drum, and smaller toms. The kit I use now is only a 5 piece consisting of a YAMAHA bass, and mounted tom, a TAMA floor tom, and my ROGERS snare that I have had since 5th grade. I also have a junker snare with the snares removed that I use for a timbali.... Of course I have all Ziljians, as they are the cream of the crop. =O)
My hardware is a mix, but double braced is preferable, including YAMAHA, TAMA, PEARL, CB700, and, SONAR.
Sticks also make a difference. The plastic tips are not a good bet as they dont sound good on the drums, and tend to "fly off" through the air lol.
The best sounding stick is going to have a more rounded head than oval, and weight is dependent on style and preference. I like a 5a or 7a, and stay with VIC FIRTH when possible.
Let me know if i can offer any more help,
Peace,
Tom