Abstract: We report on the characteristics of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) as a source for spectroscopy. The optimization of the source and the resulting figures of merits in terms of flux, signal to noise, spatial distribution and spectral and temporal distribution are presented together with a spectroscopic application. The emission of THz during the slicing operation is also described. The conclusion opens up perspectives made possible by the availability of this intense and stable THz source.