When Mistel first contacted me about a keyboard review, I was expecting the Barocco they were more or less synonymous with. The MD870 SLEEKER ended up being a tamer product in comparison thus, even with that thick metal case. This MD600 Barocco is anything but tame, with a combination of features that help instantly identify it from among a sea of keyboards. If Mistel sought to get something out first that would help establish brand awareness, they definitely manged to do so and more.

We have here a 60% form factor keyboard that is split into two pieces, but that split is such that it follows a staggered column of keys from top to bottom, even splitting the space bar key. Precise machining throughout, including for the stainless steel plate, PCB, and case, means that you can also combine them to give you a standard keyboard that will remain in place on a flat surface. This will help tremendously in getting accustomed to the 60% keyboard and the fewer discrete keys before you move the two pieces apart to give you a more ergonomic typing experience, while also further exploring the on-board controls here. These are extensive, to the say the least, and potentially overwhelming to most users. It is a good thing then that Mistel made it easy to switch from the default layer to the Fn layer that adds functions to a logical layout while also representing them on the stock keycaps. The ability to use the left side by itself complements this, whether you use it as a gamepad or a highly configured ~30% keyboard. The available RGB backlighting is the frosting to this feature-rich cake, and just as easy to ignore as it is to put on a light show if you prefer.

As it stands today, the MD600 Barocco is not a mainstream product and likely never will be. Mistel then knew they had to come up with something more appealing to those enthusiasts who value mechanical keyboards but don't want to go through the hoops to input specific keystrokes, and that is where their SLEEKER line came in later. At $160+ in 2018, the Barocco gets competition from both sides of the split keyboard market—be it the more specialized ErgoDox designs or the more mainstream Kinesis Edge—as well as 60% keyboards that do not split, but come in at a much lower price point and with arguably better build quality. It is a keyboard that tries to meet the very specific niche requirements of a very small market; if you are among them, you already know this is the keyboard for you. It just is not the keyboard for most others.