I bought a B240e bass when they first came out about 5(?) years ago. I found it very comfortable to play and I thought the quality was very good considering the price point. That said, I bought it in hopes of finding an acoustic bass to play in un-amplified settings. Though it wasn't a total let-down in that regard, I think anything more than a parlor or concert style acoustic 6 string would surely drown it out, so I ended up parting with it. The body is pretty big, but it doesn't have the depth that the B30e has, which I think is key for the acoustic projection of bass.
Since you're talking live performance though, I'm assuming the main application would be plugged-in. In which case I think the B240e would do just fine. I have never liked the sound of any piezo pickup + bronze strings, so one of the first things I did when I got the bass was to put D'Addario Black Nylon Tapewounds on it. That way, plugged in I thought it actually sounded pretty nice. The tapewound strings gave it a nice warm, pretty natural sounding tone. Again though I really didn't plug it in for more than an hour or two total, so I can't say too much in terms of versatility or how it would sit in a mix. If I recall correctly, the preamp is active and requires a 9v, but the controls are simply volume and tone, little adjustment wheels right inside the soundhole. Important to note, some reviews complain of uneven string-to-string response when plugged in, which
should be fixable by massaging the saddle+piezo a bit and maybe trying a few different sets of strings. In my experience that's usually just a contact issue with the piezo string underneath the saddle, or if strings are on the low-tension side of things, that can prevent the required amount of pressure to properly transfer the string's vibration. I'm not sure, but I don't think mine had that issue.
If you A/B'd the B240e and B30e plugged in, I think the B30e would likely sound a little more complex/lush and surely a bit more versatile with the 2 band eq, but the B240e should do just fine in a live mix and might even be a little less prone to feedback given the shallower body?
Worth noting, in retrospect, I think I actually preferred the neck profile of the B240e a little over my '92 B30e. The B240e is a little deeper front to back and my B30e neck has always felt to my hand a little flatter than might be ideal.
Finally, the gig bag that comes with the 240e is very nice, definitely offers a lot more protection than any run-of-the-mill regular gig bag. Would probably be roadworth if handled carefully. If it needs to be transported in a gear trailer though, I would probably expect the need to track down and buy a hardshell case for it.
If I was recording and had to have an acoustic bass on a session, the B30e would be the clear winner. Likewise for un-amplified acoustic jams. However, for touring and playing live on stage, I would almost surely take the B240e over the B30e. Shallower body makes it more comfortable to play and likely more feedback-resistant. It's significantly lighter too than the B30e (probably by 2-3 lbs). Also, as mentioned, sounds pretty decent and should do fine in a live stage mix, especially given the exceptional soundman behind the board
