Losing audio tracks when converting ProRes .mov to .mp4

[benfth]

Hi,

I am trying to transcode some ProRes .mov files to low-res .mp4s for client review. With some, not all, of the .mov files I've received, when I convert them to .mp4 directly from Premiere or in Media Encoder, I lose nearly all the audio, but I do still hear something. What I think is happening is that the .mp4 is only being encoded with one of the audio tracks from the .mov file and, in this case, it's an on-camera mic or some other non-primary audio source. I don't recall ever running into this issue before, though admittedly I can't remember the last time I tried this specific thing. 

If I put the clips into a sequence and export part of that, it mixes down as I expect. Is there a way I can batch transcode these .movs to smaller .mp4s and have the audio mix down to one track? Or a way to target which track I want to export? Without making individual sequences and exporting those, that is (which might have taken less time by now).

Am I missing something obvious? Help!

[Michael Grenadier]

you can import the clips into premiere and the select them and go to clip: modify: audio channels, but if the audio configuration of the source files varies, you'll have to customize the modification to match the configuration of the source files..  

[benfth]

Thanks, I had considered this, but the configuration does vary. Another solution that would have saved me time by now, and I may end up doing. But is there really no way to get Premiere/ME to mix down the tracks UNLESS they go into a timeline? 

[benfth]

I actually just tried it and have gotten the same result with the bad audio track. To be clear, you mean to go modify: audio channels: uncheck the bad audio tracks?

[benfth]

And I also reduced tracks to one, isolating the good one. Export still only uses a bad track. 

[Warren Heaton]

You'll have a much easier time sending the client ProRes Proxy files at a smaller frame size.

If the client is running macOS, they can view the files in the Finder or QuickTime Player.

If the client is running Windows, they can view the files using Adobe Bridge.

[benfth]

So it's really that hard to achieve this, then? It'll be easier to create them, yes, but they'll still be much larger than a low or med bitrate mp4. I just wanted to create something that could transfer very quickly, though I certainly could have gone several other routes by now.

If that's what it is, then that's what it is. I understand why it's not built in from a workflow angle, but for remote footage review, seems like this shouldn't be so hard.