Laughing Inside the Box

The laugh machine, or Laff Box, was invented by Charles Douglass (1910-2003), an American sound engineer who, previously, had had a hand in developing a shipboard radar with other scientists when he was in the Navy during World War II.
   Here's the translation of the story:
   "The idea of using an audience during the taping of programs existed as far back as the time of the radio. It added life to the program and gave listeners the feeling of not being alone in enjoying it. The practice continued after the invention of television.
   "The problem was that it required a large number of people, and therefore very large studios in which to hold them. Sometimes the studio audience laughed too much, sometimes not enough or not long enough, and there was always someone who had a bizarre laugh. In short, it cost a lot and was never perfect.
   "The studios therefore started using cassette tapes of laughter, but they tended to all sound the same and didn't adapt well to different situations.
   "Then, in the 1950s, Charley Douglass invented and perfected a special machine that
allowed the American station CBS to replace its studio audience.
   "This machine had a keyboard that allowed one to choose, mix, and play in a loop 320 different taped laughs and applause. There were also pedals for controlling their length and volume.
   The laugh machine was so revolutionary that it was kept under lock and key and only Charley and his immediate family could see its interior and how it functioned."
   The addition of more or different kinds of laughter or applause is called "sweetening." When Douglass retired in 1980, his son Bob took over the business (story, lots of pix, video of the machine in action): http://www.laboiteverte.fr/la-premiere-machine-rires-pour-remplacer-une-audience-la-tv/