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A woman speaking with an American accent was heard from his iPad as he was addressing Judge Thokozile Masipa.
He had just told her he was not going to re-examine Colonel Mike Sale, who downloaded data from two iPads found in Pistorius's home.
"I'm so sorry, My Lady," a red faced Nel said, handing the iPad to a colleague sitting behind him.
He explained that it was a recording of an argument unrelated to the case.
Once the laughter had died down, Nel added: "I have strict instructions not to touch anything or press any buttons."
Shortly before, Barry Roux, for the Paralympian, cross-examined Sale.
It was over in seconds.
He asked Sale if he knew who used the iPads.
"I cannot say who was the person behind the iPad at that time," Sale said, referring to 14 February 2013, when Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the locked toilet door of his home. He apparently mistook her for an intruder.
When Nel questioned Sale the first time, the colonel said he found both an iPad2 and an iPad3 in Pistorius's home.
"Were you able to find commonalities between the web browser history of the two devices?" Nel asked Sale.
He said he was. It was not explained who owned the two devices.
The trial was postponed to Monday.
The Paralympic athlete has been charged with the premeditated murder of Steenkamp and contraventions of the Firearms Control Act.
He allegedly fired a shot from a Glock pistol under a table at a Johannesburg restaurant in January 2013.
On 30 September 2012 he allegedly shot through the open sunroof of a car with his 9mm pistol while driving with friends in Modderfontein.
