No progress here, I'm 99% sure that the KPA--not the chip--is the problem. I'm really just speculating, but It seems to me that there is very little that could go wrong with a PROM chip aside from having bad firmware burned onto it from the get-go, but then the problem would exist across all chips that have said firmware rather than just a few. This is not the first hardware problem that I have had with my KPA either--I have an XLR output volume issue that has never been completely solved. But like I said, I'm just speculating, and my view of the situation may be a bit biased due to past problems with this unit, so take my ramblings with a grain of salt.
I have a love hate relationship with Kemper. The tones that I get from this little box are incredible, but the bugs, the spotty quality control and apparent cost-cutting on components is inexcusable for the price. So much for German manufacturing, eh? Despite all of the problems that plague the KPA, it's still the best option in my opinion. I'll deal with the quirks and bugs if it means I won't sound like I'm playing through an overpriced POD (I'm looking at you Fractal Audio).