rendering/sequence settings question
 

I've got a video track in a sequence in FCP 6. I add an MP3 file (same audio rate--44.1). I get a red render bar. How can I avoid this?

As far as I can tell, my sequence settings match my clip. The vid clip is from a 5DMII. I tried creating a new sequence, and then dropping the 5D clip on it--clicking OK when the dialog box pops up asking if I want the sequence to match the clip. The audio of the 5D clip is stereo at 44.1. I drop a stereo MP3 file on the timeline, and I get the red render bar. I'd like to get all my clips and sequences at the same settings so I don't have to do any rendering.

The only difference in settings I can find, is that the 5D audio is 16 bit integer and the MP3 is 32 bit floating point. Could that be what's causing the problem? If so, how do you change that? The bit depth menu in sequence settings doesn't seem to have an effect on this.

ETA: I just tried this with a .wav file, which is 16 bit integer (same as 5D clip), and am still getting the red render bar. IOW, the sequence is at 44.1, the 5D audio is at 44.1, and the .wav file is at 44.1. There are no other clips in the timeline.

Final Cut doesn't like mp3 files. I always convert an mp3 file to a AIFF audio file before I import it into FCP.

Regardless of the audio rate is the file type that counts.

Thanks for the reply--I do think the mp3 format was causing the problem. I thought it was still happening with a .wav file, but just remembered I had changed playback preferences to 2 audio tracks instead of 4.