Hi I'm wondering as to whether getting a 4 channel scope is better than a 2. The ones I'm looking at are the siglent sds822 and 824

 

It depends on what you're going to use the scope for. Sometimes a single channel is sufficient. Sometimes 4 channels aren't enough.

Can't comment on DSO's. I still prefer analog scopes though I do use a 2 channel Hantek USB scope when I want to capture a lot of waveforms and I have some DSO's from the 1980's.

 

Hi I'm wondering as to whether getting a 4 channel scope is better than a 2. The ones I'm looking at are the siglent sds822 and 824

One is not better than the other. I have never had the privilege to use a 4-channel oscilloscope in my entire professional career, though there has been a rare occasion when having one would have been nice.

So it comes down to what you plan to do with an oscilloscope.
If money is not an issue then go ahead and spend it. You can get by in any situation with just a 2-channel oscilloscope. When you don't have any, even a 1-channel oscilloscope is better than none at all.

 

Mr. "C" has got it right!! The number of channels needed depends on what you need the scope for. THAT is the first and primarydetermining factor.

 

As long as you have an external trigger input you can compare the timing of as many channels as you like with even a 1 channel scope.

 

To the OP, get a 4 channel scope with decent signal decoding. It's nearly 2026, not the last century.

 

I'm fairly new to all this. At the moment I'm building a modular synthesizer but I have no idea what's next i should imagine the current project is going to be a couple of years. I may adventure in to valve hi fi. The difference is £200. Which would be a couple of modules

 

Two Sets of 10 channels O'scope and Multimeter Multi-Inputs Selector.

 

Hi I'm wondering as to whether getting a 4 channel scope is better than a 2. The ones I'm looking at are the siglent sds822 and 824

Get the 4 Channel model, I used an SDS1204X-E for a few years and it was excellent, I'm not a pro (but studied electronics full time, years ago) but know that getting something a bit better than you might "need" is always the best option.

That SDS824X HD looks very good (12 bit A/D resolution for example) you'll be able to learn a lot and the four channels are helpful if you're learning stuff and just want to see multiple signals to reinforce your understanding (many pros might be fine with 2 channel - but they already learned everything!).

 

I'm fairly new to all this. At the moment I'm building a modular synthesizer but I have no idea what's next i should imagine the current project is going to be a couple of years. I may adventure in to valve hi fi. The difference is £200. Which would be a couple of modules

Every member here on AAC forums have their own opinions and their own needs.
At the moment, your needs are at the beginner hobbyist level, dabbling with analog/audio electronics. That is not to say that you will not move on to more complex digital projects in later years. At your current interests, the key specification to look at is the oscilloscope bandwidth. 50 MHz will do you fine. 100 MHz is a good jump off point. Higher bandwidth at 200 MHz becomes desirable when delving into digital and MCU projects. Data decoding mode is good if you are doing computer and embedded MCU serial communications. None of my oscilloscopes have this feature.

The difference of £200 is a lot extra to have to spend which can be put to other needs.
I would be looking at lower priced models such as,
Siglent SDS1052DL+
Siglent SDS1104X
Siglent SDS1202X-E

Of course, you should look at other brands.
I invite @tautech to chime it.

 

Id prefer a better / faster 2 chanel scope most of the time over a slower 4 channel scope.

Id say,
50 % of the time single chanel is all thats used
40% of the time two channels are used,
10% of the time , more would be good !

most of time, your going to be probbing audio, clocks , trigger signals, serial links like i2c , rs232 . even spi , most debugging can be done with 2 traces.

most of the things your looking for with a scope are
signal period
signal quality
rise / fall times
glitches
voltage dips

 

The typical channels required per task number vary with types of tasks for sure. For many embedded software analog or digital signal tasks there, is the trigger (on the screen as a process or diagnostic signal), the signal clock(s) or reference and data signal(s). It not just individual signal properties you are looking into, it's the group interaction (inputs vs outputs vs modifiers) with signal changes that's important.

 

As a seller of DSO’s I always try to glean from the buyer their current and future needs and often recommend a model that might have capabilities they might not need right now but they can grow into as knowledge and experience is gained.

OP, even the much cheaper SDS802X HD will likely meet your current and future BW requirements and the saved coin over the 200 MHz models can finance you into a Siglent ARB to pair with it to use the scopes excellent FRA/Bode plot feature to make and precisely tune your own passive and active filters.

There is so much the modern low cost scope can do these days that only a few years back was only accomplished by $ $ instruments.
Good luck with your choice.

 

Again, I would be considering your needs. Are you trying to set up an electronics workbench with an assortment of test equipment or do you just need a tool that would allow you to get into audio diagnostics?

I would not eliminate an inexpensive handheld for quick testing. There are many times when an isolated battery powered oscilloscope would come in handy.

Check this out, as an example:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FNIRSI-Oscilloscope-Bandwidth-Multimeter-Generator/dp/B0D6VX6BFL/