Movie Prop Keyboards and Synthesizers for Rent, Scene Staging
Our vintage keyboards are fully functional. However, they can also be used as props to give scenes for period films, television, and retro music videos an authentic look. Our keyboards are from the 70's, 80's and 90's. View our full instrument prop list. If you are unsure which piece to rent we'll be happy to help you select one. Let us know the time period and type of music for our expert opinion on which keyboards to feature in music biopics, television episode flashback, and more. Delivery of prop keyboard rentals is available in the greater Los Angeles area. We also offer set/scenery staging for production studio scenes in TV and films to include everything needed to portray an accurate music producer's space from any era. Contacts us for more info.
Here are some examples of synths, samplers, drum machines, and effects in films and music videos.
Straight Outta Compton
In the movie Straight Outta Compton NWA getting excited after hearing some of the track playback. Left: Minimoog and Yamaha DX7, right Roland TR-909.Right: Emu SP1200 sampler.In the movie Straight Outta Compton Dr. Dre meets with Suge Knight in the studio. Left: Akai MPC 60, right: Minimoog.Close-up of Easy-E playing the Roland Juno 60. For some reason the sound designers gave it a sampled piano sound in the film when in reality it cannot make piano sounds.Poor Easy-E falls over his Roland Juno 60.In the movie Straight Outta Compton Meeting Suge Knight at a studio. Left: Arp Odyssey, center: Sequential Circuits T8, right: Roland Juno 106.Dr. Dre works out the lead line of Nothin but a G Thang on the Minimoog moments before Snoop Dog arrives to work out the lyrics.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
In the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind There are two different synthesizers featured in the film which are used to communicate with the aliens with the iconic riff theme.When communication is first made with the extraterrestrials with binary code the scientist reply by broadcasting the audio of a Yamaha SY-2 back to them.Later in the film an Arp 2500 is used to communicate with the mothership at Devil's Tower over loudspeakers.
Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk
A member of Bruno Mars's band plays a red Roland SH-101 as a keytar in the Uptown Funk music video. Watch the video here. The SH-101 was available in red, blue. and gray. The one in our inventory is blue.
Pretty in Pink
In the movie Pretty in Pink the band at the high school dance scene pretend to play OMD's If You Leave while two Yamaha KX-88 controllers sit unused in the foreground.
In the movie Best in ShowEugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara's characters talk about their terrier dog-themed album project next to a Roland RE-201 Space Echo sitting under an Echoplex.
Xanadu
The San Francisco band The Tubes play in the "rock vs big band" musical number "Dancin" featuring keyboardists Mike Cotton doing some absurd things with his synths.Top left: Cotton plays the Korg MiniKorg 700S, back: Oberheim Four Voice.Cotton ties up a dancer in patch cables on top of an Arp 2600.Cotton swings the Wasp EDP synth around the stage.
Hot Tub Time Machine
In the movie Hot Tub Time Machine Craig Robinson plays "Jesse's Girl" on the Yamaha DX7.
Our vintage keyboards are fully functional. However, they can also be used as props to give scenes for period films, television, and retro music videos an authentic look. Our keyboards are from the 70's, 80's and 90's. View our full instrument prop list. If you are unsure which piece to rent we'll be happy to help you select one. Let us know the time period and type of music for our expert opinion on which keyboards to feature in music biopics, television episode flashback, and more. Delivery of prop keyboard rentals is available in the greater Los Angeles area. We also offer set/scenery staging for production studio scenes in TV and films to include everything needed to portray an accurate music producer's space from any era. Contacts us for more info.
