Automator's Text-to-Audio File broken? Creates 'silent' aiff file

I am buidling an automator application that has three steps

a) Get Contents of Clipboard

b) Text to Audio File

c) Encode to MPEG Audio

The process correctly grabs the clipboard content. At least I know it is working in another automator app I have that simply has Speak Text in place of step b) above.

The process creates an .aiff file and drops it where I expect it to be dropped.

Here is where the problem hits. If I click on the file, it looks like it is playing but there is no sound. (I get the spinny motion and the pause button, as if the file is playing.) iTunes, VLC, and Quicktime do not play it either. (It will open in Quicktime, but shows a file of 0 seconds.)

I have downloaded other .aiff files and thrown them into the same applications. They play fine. This makes me think the Text-to-Audio function is creating a broken file.

Any help you all can give me?