Software

With all functionality hardware based, there are no software drivers for the Mistel MD770 Barocco RGB. As such, I have chosen to combine this section with the performance section below.

Performance

The MD770 supports N-key rollover USB, which tested successfully using Aqua's test. Similarly, no key chatter was detected on any of the keys using Switch Hitter. As with just about any keyboard these days, there is no right Windows key, it having being substituted by an Fn key instead, which is not to be confused with the Pn key here.

When first connected and running, the keyboard lights up in a rainbow wave lighting effect, which is the default option here. The transition animation is smooth, and the effect is a good demo to also ensure the keyboard is powered on and working properly.


There are plenty of onboard controls for backlighting, including on brightness, individual R/G/B channel brightness in eight steps (note that the manual mistakenly cites Pn+F8 as the white instead of blue channel), toggling between ten lighting effects, and also changing the speed of dynamic effects as applicable. There is a color palette mode, which is seen in the first picture above, and it is a good indicator of how low the backlighting effect really is with this keyboard. There is minimal backlighting bleed here, which is no surprise given all the matte, dark colors and the low effect overall. I then manually set all the keys to white using the software driver to test for color fidelity since RGB LEDs have a hard time depicting white, and it was a white with a light pink hue in this case.

Here are some more of the lighting effects demonstrated, including a spiral rainbow, rain (drop), and breathing mode, making full use of the hardware.


Layers are the name of the game when it comes to smaller form factor keyboards, including this one. Aside from the default programming on the base layer as per the legends on the keycaps, Mistel has an Fn+ and Pn+ layer for access to not only different typing layouts, but three other layers that can be customized by the user for recording and assigning macros, including with delays between recorded keystrokes. As seen in the table above, Mistel also has some media control options, and the indicator LEDs on the keyboard help tell which layer you are currently on. If you decide to have some of these functions available on the default layer, you can use some of the replacement keycaps as well, such as for the volume control or bringing up the calculator. Again, I highly encourage reading through the manual to understand the various processes better, and there is also a blurb in there about what the four dip switches do, including turning on the MacOS layout instead.



The key-assignment options here allow for users to also go with layouts other than QWERTY, and here, I used the source code from an older keyboard review in a layout tester (courtesy of Patrick Gillespie). The results above indicate that QWERTY is not even close to the most efficient layout for me, and very likely you as well. If you are willing, try out Colemak or Dvorak as they will result in lower finger travel and fatigue overall. Here is the link to the full results if you are interested, including a detailed analysis on key presses and distances moved.

Mistel was originally aiming to bring out the Bluetooth version of the MD770 RGB in May, but the coronavirus effect has had a widespread impact on productivity, which is completely understandable. Delays may well happen thus, and all I can say at this point is that the BT versions will use Bluetooth 3.0 with a 580 mAh lithium battery that should provide for 1–1.5 months of regular use without backlighting, which goes all the way down to 30–45 minutes with RGB lighting on at max brightness.


As always, the sound of a keyboard is based on more than just the switch type. So when comparing sound clips, consider the keyboard as a whole. In this case, I have provided above an example sound clip of me typing on the Mistel MD770 RGB with Cherry MX Blue RGB switches sample at ~80 WPM. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with clicky switches. I did bottom out, although it is definitely avoidable with the pronounced tactile and clicky feedback here. The Cherry MX Blue switch is still rated for the original 50 M keystrokes instead of the 100 M clicks for other Cherry MX switch options, and Cherry says they are working on a new mold and further updates to get this switch in line with the rest.