Media Cache Database

In your Edit > Preferences > Media dialog, notice the section labeled Media Cache Database (Figure 9.3). The Media Cache Database is a straightforward database file that manages and registers all the conformed audio files on your system. If you import a 48kHz audio file into a 32kHz project, you must conform the audio file down to 32kHz. When Premiere Pro performs the conforming, the program notes the action in the database. The database notes the source file that was conformed and the sample rate it was conformed into. The database tracks the location of each of these files. As long as you don't change the path or rename the original 48kHz file, if you were to import it into another 32kHz project, the database would not generate a new conform file, instead it would point the project to the previously conformed file and use that instead.

Figure 9.3. Your Media Cache Database is a powerful little tool for managing the conformed audio and peak files associated with your project media

The Clean function of the database performs a system check and looks to see if all of the media that is registered in the database still resides on disk. If any files were moved from their previously registered paths or deleted, Premiere Pro automatically deletes their associated conformed files.

Fortunately, the latest version of Premiere Pro allows you to listen and edit your audio before or during any conforming. If the peak file hasn't been generated, however, you won't see any of the waveform information. Continuing on with listening to your audio, let's next discuss volume levels.