exactly, PT8 comping features are miles ahead of the rest of the game and non destructive inplace audio editing is a godsend.+1 Ableton just doesnt have the tools for let's say 'comping' or even decent x-fades built into it. its not an audio editor really, it tries but for the most part fails.
actually an m-box with protools and an m-audio lightbridge isnt such an expensive option these days and can give you up to 36 I/O (depending on the model)At a push, for band work, i'd say PT, but if you havnt got the Digidesign soundcard it can be a very expensive purchase.