wrote:
I have an old Fostex that I want to use on a temporary basis for some
live mixing applications in a small room. It doesn't have any balanced
outs, and the stereo and monitor outs are just RCAs. So if I want to
send the signal 40 or 50 feet, what's the easiest way to do that?

A box with a pair of 600:600 transformers in it.

I think I could send the RCA to a male quarter-inch, stick that into a
DI box and then run an XLR to the powered speaker's (Peavey PR 12P) mic
input. Stop me if I'm wrong on that. But is there a better way?

DI transformers are high-ratio. This means they tend to have poorer
high end and are more expensive for the same performance than a 1:1
transformer.

And the tangential question is this: I've rented passive DI boxes
before and used them for guitars and keyboards. I've had no
complaints. Would a couple passive boxes work okay for driving my
speakers or do active boxes make more sense here?

It's really not the right tool for the job. Try the Ebtech Hum
Eliminator on the cheap end, or the Jensen isolation boxes on the
expensive end.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."