Mistel Keyboard as a brand has been growing steadily since its inception, so much so that they are now offering products that are not even keyboards anymore. But this review is about a product that harks back to their start of sorts, with the MD770 Barocco being their largest ever split keyboard and one that is easier to get used to compared to the other two split keyboards we saw from them. The company refers to this as a 75% keyboard, and the larger number of dedicated keys will provide a more familiar user experience. The dedicated numpad is still missing here, and perhaps their own MD870 SLEEKER will be of interest to you there, but this one is going to be of interest to those who want a split keyboard with fewer keys.

At $159 for this RGB non-BT version, however, you really have to be interested to even consider purchasing one. It is priced the same as their own MD650L at launch, which is a low profile 65% keyboard that uses Cherry ML switches paired to an aluminium case. The non-backlit version comes in at $139.99, which is arguably a better buy given the backlighting here is not very good to begin with unless you plan to replace the stock keycaps. If you do, justifying the price is even harder since that keycap set is no doubt a big selling point and adds to the cost.

Onboard functionality is on the higher side as well with extensive layer and macro support built in. The ability to only use the left side as a dedicated gamepad or a highly customized ~35% keyboard is something very few companies get to boast about. At $140–$160, the MD770 Barocco gets competition from both sides of the split keyboard market—be it the more specialized ErgoDox designs, more mainstream Kinesis Edge, or Mistel's own MD660 Barocco—as well as 60%–68% keyboards that do not split, but come in at a much lower price point. It is a keyboard that tries to meet the niche requirements of a small market; if you are among them, you already know this is the keyboard for you. Overall though, the larger form factor does make this the most approachable split keyboard from the company and one worth checking out at the lower cost of the non-backlit version.