Closer Examination

Both pieces of the Mistel MD600 Barocco keyboard come wrapped in a soft foam cover, but even so, you can tell just how light and unique it is. Weighing in at a little under 500 grams, it becomes easy to dismiss the build quality as one closer to a toy, but that would be a mistake. The relatively low mass is due to its smaller size, which in turn is because of the 60% form factor employed here, and both pieces are quite sturdy out of the box. Due to the smaller size of each, there is also no flex when in use, and I would actually say the overall package will last longer than a lot of other mainstream keyboards. The keyboard comes in white or black color options, and both have that unique cutout in the middle that basically splits the keyboard into two pieces. Indicator LEDs get a new place as well, with them in the bottom-right corner of the right piece instead. Where keys are usually located in the top-right, we see a Mistel logo instead, and it is all the branding that is visible on the keyboard when used.

The bezels are smaller than average and are non-existent in the middle, and the case follows the cutout very well to where I can already appreciate the work that went into making this product happen. There are very few single legend keycaps, as expected on this 60% keyboard since real estate is precious, and the top center of the keycap on those that are present hints towards where the LEDs underneath have been put. You have keycaps with dual or even triple legends, with secondary legends placed alongside the primary ones at the top and the keyboard-specific tertiary legends on the front instead. We have seen other companies, such as Vortexgear, adopt a similar positioning with their smaller form factor keyboards, and it works out well when it comes to quickly identifying layered functions.


It takes time to adjust to a 60% keyboard, especially if you have been using a TKL or full-size keyboard before. A split keyboard is similar—it adds ergonomic benefits, but can be even harder to get used to. A split 60% keyboard takes everything to another level entirely, and I can count on my hands the number of keyboards that do so today. Mistel recognized this and made sure you can also use the MD600 Barocco as a single-piece keyboard by simply connecting the two pieces as you would two parts of a jigsaw puzzle. Indeed, the precision in machining the two pieces to make for a solid connection instead of a clunky one is well worth pointing out here, and props must be given to Mistel for having done so succesfully.


Flipping the keyboard around, we can better see the cutout in the two pieces and how each piece has more going on here as well. The usual certification sticker is on one of these, along with your unit's specific serial number should you need to get technical support from Mistel. The other piece has a quick guide on how to connect the keyboard, and this is always appreciated. Both pieces have a small hemispherical rubber pad in each corner for some friction against the surface you put this keyboard on, and you can swap these over with the provided accessories if you want a small amount of tenting, tilting, or elevation. Aiding in the latter are the two keyboard feet, per piece, which have two elevation steps, and each also has its own small rubber pad to complete the picture.


Connecting the keyboard is not trivial owing to the five ports available here. The left piece has a micro-USB and mini-USB port, and this is because it can be used independently, in which case you only need the provided mini-USB to full size USB Type-A cable. If you plan to use both pieces together, then connect the micro-USB port on the left piece to the closest of the two available micro-USB ports on the right piece. The second cable then connects the mini-USB port on the right piece to your computer. That second micro-USB port is available if you plan to use Mistel's MD200 Freeboard Num pad accessory. As it is, cable management of the two cables is not going to be very easy, but here is where the use of the flat cables with the provided cable ties will come in handy. USB 2.0 will suffice for data and power to both pieces here, even with RGB backlighting being available.


There are only five rows of keycaps owing to the 60% form factor, and we can see that Mistel has used the usual OEM profile with the familiar slanted rows. This and the use of staggered columns for keys will do wonders in reducing the time needed to get used to this keyboard if you are new to it. The provided keycap puller works great for removing the keycaps for a swap or simply to clean them and the keyboard, and it also helps that we have two smaller space bar keys rather than a large one. The stock keycaps are composed of thick PBT plastic (average wall thickness 1.41 mm) with doubleshot injected top legends that promise longevity and a good typing experience. Unfortunately, the front legends are just applied to the surface of the keycap, so these will show signs of wear and tear, and also not allow light to pass through as seen above. It does not help that these are keyboard-specific, which is useful in recognizing the layered pre-programmed functions.


Mistel makes the MD600 Barocco keyboard available in as many as six different Cherry MX switches depending on the region and version of the keyboard, and this particular RGB version came with Cherry's new MX RGB Speed (Silver) switches. As with the other Cherry MX RGB switches, these have a clear housing to allow light through from the RGB LEDs under the switch. The larger keycaps also use Cherry stabilizers, which work well given no single keycap is large enough for a mushy typing experience. Mistel has added their small customization to these by giving the stabilizer stems an orange color as well.


Keeping up with the small orange touches, here is a look at the keyboard with the two pieces connected and the replacement keycap in place. I used it to replace the Enter key, which is what Mistel intends it be used for, and ISO layout users will similarly find an orange ISO Enter keycap in their product packaging.