Problems with routing tracks/effects when recording

(I've just stumbled onto this group, so please accept my
apologies if I'm asking a typical newbie question, or if this
topic has been addressed at length in other posts.)

I had an Soundblaster Audigy 2 Platinum card installed a few
months back, and while I'm real happy with the quality of my
desktop audio, I'm having some problems with "mapping" inputs and
effects properly.

I am running a pro mic into the 1/4" input and get great sound
through both my speakers and the card's powerful headphone
output. I can record audio from the card's inputs into whatever
app I choose - from Windows' bare bones Sound Recorder, my Dell
Music Match, etc. with great results.

However, when I attempt to record audio into a desktop multi-
track program (Cakewalk, Adobe Audition) the initial track
records fine, but when I record a second track it always winds up
recording both the audio intended for the second track AND
whatever was already recorded on the first track. (As if it is
"bouncing" both track one AND track two to track two in "real
time.")

So I can't mix my tracks independently of one another -- the
"multi-track" aspect is pretty much useless.

In fact, if I have any other programs that have any audio - say
the notification sounds in Windows - they record to the tracks as
well! (Of course I try and leave 'em off, but still...is this
right?)

In addition:

I cannot get the effects from the Audigy to "write" directly to
the recording device, no matter what it is.

For example, if I enable a reverb effect from the EAX console
when I'm recording, I hear the "wet" signal through the
speakers/headphones just fine during recording, but if I turn off
the EAX for playback, the track is dry. (This problem may be
related to the fact that if the EAX effects are enabled any and
all audio that I play through my computer - my mp3 player, for
example, gets treated with the effect as well.)

So... I'm guessing this has something to do with the "routing" of
my audio signals from the Audigy. What I would like to be able
to do is treat whatever is coming into the 1/4" input on the
soundcard, so the wet sound goes right to the track, but not the
rest of the computers audio...is this this possible?

I've experimented with the settings in both the "Surround Mixer"
and my other audio programs to no avail.

Any thoughts on how to straighten this mess out?

Many thanks in advance.

Regards,
David