what consumer/prosumer NLEs have good audio tools, and like mpeg-2+avchd

[mcbmcb0]

I'm sick of googling and time to ask those who know...
I've been using Premiere Elements 3 (on XP) and now upgraded to a win-7-64 i7-950, ati5770. I need to upgrade software. One option is stay with Premiere elements 9 but its native format is still DV-AVI & many posts say it doesn't play nicely with MPEG-2 source files. Also its 32 bit and doesn't utilize GPU. On the plus side it is said to like AVCHD and have good audio tools for this slice of the market: basically its mostly for home movies and the source files are often noisy/poor levels.

Could you make recommendations on what consumer or prosumer (e.g., US$100 or less) NLEs would fit this brief:
- good audio tools (noise, normalize, compress...)
- plays well with MPEG-2 (previous MOD files) and AVCHD files
- preferably 64 bit and make use of GPU
- preferably from manufacturer known for fixing their bugs rather than releasing 'new' versions with few enhancements.
- preferably not too steep a learning curve - PrE3 was fine for my abilities

I know this is a perennial question and I have read many other posts. Not many people mention audio tools and how well they actually work. Anything you can say of your experience with such situations appreciated.
Thanks!

Mike

[aedipuss]

i like the integration of the sony products, vegas pro 10 and soundforge.

[poisondeathray]

For NLE's only , the vegas line is generally better for audio than the Premiere line. Vegas actually started as an audio editor (no video)

But for your budget ~$100 , the pro versions will be too expensive. I am unsure if the Vegas Movie Studio / Platinum have the same abilities with audio compared to the Pro version

[lordsmurf]

Adobe Premiere CS4 and CS5 are actually pretty impressive for audio features. I still prefer to process audio alone, however, in Sound Forge. I don't Vegas isn't as powerful and easy to use as Premiere, when it comes to editing.

But these are all pro apps.

[edDV]

Look at Sony Vegas Platinum for your i7. It will do AVCHD and has most audio support including 5.1 and is often discounted below $99 (less with competitor upgrades). You can add audio capability with consumer "Audio Studio" or pro "SoundForge". Both integrate into Vegas.