How I Got My S4 MK1 Working on a 2008 MacBook – Clean El Capitan Install + Native Access Fix

I spent quite a bit of time getting my S4 MK1 running reliably on an old MacBook Late 2008, and thought I'd share the full process here in case it helps others using legacy gear. From clean-installing El Capitan to fixing Native Access activation, this approach got everything working smoothly for me — and might save someone else a few hours of frustration. Full details below.

💭 Considerations Before Getting Started

I didn’t want to throw away a perfectly fine Traktor S4 MK1 controller. Since it doesn’t work on my new MacBook Air M4, I repurposed my old MacBook Late 2008 for occasional offline DJ use.

While the result is stable, it’s not future-proof. The system is frozen in time — no updates, no modern features. It took some effort to make it work.

Depending on your needs, it might make more sense to sell the MK1 and upgrade to an MK2 or newer model. But if you're set on using the MK1 and older hardware, here's what worked for me.

🧩 Why I Chose El Capitan and Traktor Pro 2

I chose OS X El Capitan because it’s the last version officially supported by this Mac without patching. It’s lighter and handles audio tasks well. The S4 MK1 is still supported with official drivers.

Traktor Pro 2 was the last version with full support for the S4 MK1. Traktor Pro 3 launched on another Mac I tested, but it felt heavier. I chose to keep things light with Pro 2. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who’s run Pro 3 successfully on this hardware.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Without a full .app version of the El Capitan installer, it was very hard to do a proper clean install.
• Apple’s installer on newer Macs only gives a .pkg inside a .dmg. Run it on an older Mac (like the 2008 model) to get the real .app.
• None worked for me. Running Apple’s .pkg directly on the 2008 Mac did.
  • Extracting manually
  • Using gibMacOS
  • Using the dosdude patcher
• I wiped the internal disk completely (including EFI) to ensure a fresh start.
• I created a bootable USB using the .app and createinstallmedia.
• Native Access didn’t work initially due to outdated certificates — I fixed this (details below).

📦 My Final Setup

• MacBook Late 2008, 2.4GHz, 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD
• macOS El Capitan 10.11.6 (clean install)
• Traktor Pro 2.11
• S4 MK1 Controller + official driver
• Native Access v1.x with certificate fix

📅 Clean Installation Steps

1. Get the Installer on the MacBook Itself

• On the 2008 MacBook, visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886
• Download the .dmg and open InstallMacOSX.pkg
• It creates Install OS X El Capitan.app in /Applications
• Back this up!

2. Create a Bootable USB

• Format a USB (8GB+) as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), GUID Partition Map
• Run Terminal:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath "/Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app" --nointeraction

3. Erase the Internal Drive (Optional but Recommended)

Boot from the USB and open Terminal:

diskutil listdiskutil unmountDisk force /dev/disk0gpt destroy /dev/disk0diskutil eraseDisk JHFS+ "Macintosh HD" GPT /dev/disk0

4. Install macOS

• Go back to the installer menu
• Choose "Install OS X"
• Select the newly erased Macintosh HD

🎧 Traktor Pro 2 + S4 MK1 Setup

• Legacy downloads for Traktor Pro 2, Native Access, and more: https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/210294645

🔐 Native Access Not Activating — My Fix

There may be other solutions, including contacting Native Instruments support, but this is what worked for me. Native Access wouldn’t activate due to outdated root certificates on El Capitan.

A helpful forum post by Pion pointed me in the right direction — full credit to Pion for the solution: https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/35615/native-access-for-older-os/p1

🛠️ Step-by-Step Certificate Fix:

1. Go to https://letsencrypt.org/certificates/
2. Download:
   • ISRG Root X1
   • DST Root CA X3 (.der format)
3. Open Keychain Access
4. Drag the certs into System keychain
5. Set both to “Always Trust” under the Trust section
6. Restart your Mac
7. Native Access should now activate properly

💬 Final Thoughts

This setup gave new life to an old Mac for a specific, focused purpose. It’s not a future-proof solution, but it works well as a dedicated Traktor Pro 2 machine.

If you're trying to repurpose old gear instead of replacing it, I hope this helps. Feel free to share or improve on this process.