Effects cueing in a way I can't fathom

Question

Hello everyone, 
 
 I'm very new to programming lights and the Ion altogether, so forgive me in advance. I am having a hard time even formulating this question in a precise way, but I think I finally have managed. Please bear with me. 
 
 I have a simple installation of 7 fluorescent lights, and I want to apply different effects to them. I am starting with a flashing effect, which is step based, and is active for all channels. But I apply it to one channel at a time. 
 
 So let's say I apply the effect to Channel 1, I record only Ch. 1 to Cue 1. Then I stop the effect and record only Ch. 1 to Cue 1.1. I do the same on Channel 2 for Cues 2 and 2.1. And now the same for Channel 3 on Cues 3 and 3.1. When I run through the cues, no problem (except sometimes mysteriously problems, but more about that later). First Ch. 1 flashes, then Ch. 2, then Ch. 3. Then I apply the effect to Ch. 2 and save it to Cue 4, and I delete Cue 3.1. This works as expected, when I jump to cue 4, Ch. 2+3 are both flashing. 
 
 Now, I go to Cue 2, and change the rate of the effect to 20. I can't update the cue, or the rate change is lost (why?), so I record Cue 2 again. I cycle through the cues, and Ch. 2 is slower on Cue 2. Super. I go to cue 3 and change the rate of the effect to 300, rerecord Cue 3. Now when I cycle through, Ch. 2 is slower on Cue 2, and Ch. 3 is fast on Cue 3. Great. No problem. 
 
 BUT, then I go to Cue 4, and change the rate of the effect just on Ch. 2 (the CIA tells me) to 20. I select Ch. 2 and record only Ch. 2 to Cue 4. When I cycle through to Cue 4, BOTH Ch. 2 and Ch. 4 are slow! So the rate change was applied to both!! Why?? 
 
 So sometimes what happens, and I can't for the life of me figure out what's going on, I apply the effect to a channel, say 6, while other channels have had an effect applied to them but are now stopped. I select Ch. 6, and record only channel 6 to some cue. Then when I get to the cue, Ch. 6 and the other previously active channels all start running the effect. And this happens even when the effects are not the same effects! But it doesn't happen always, only some of the time. 
 
 I hope this makes some kind of sense, and someone knows what I am talking about. 
 
 I can put it in a positive question by forming what I would like to do. I would like to program a series of effects on each light, separately or in groups, that would last for distinct lengths of time, sometimes overlapping and sometimes not, sometimes using the same effect but at different rates, and sometimes using different effects, and I would like to program the follow times in such a way as to let these effects run through automatically, making a precisely timed score, so to speak, of when each effect turns on and off. 
 
 (Do I need to go to programming course? You bet! But I need to program this in the next couple of days, so... I'm hoping someone has something for me!) 
 
 Thanks so much!

ueliriegg · Accepted Answer

There are three different ways of changing the rate of an effect and recording it: in the effect itself, in the cue or per channel per cue. You want the last one. 
To get there, you need to open the Tab FX Channels. When you click the plus symbol next to a tab to open a new tab you can find it next to the symbol for the effect tab. 
 
Are you recording in Cue Only or in Tracking mode? You can see this in the top left corner of every live/blind tab. This info would help diagnose the rest.

ueliriegg · Answer

You should be able to say Update Enter. I tried that this morning and it worked. 
Tracking means that a change will propagate forward until it meets something different (a block or a move instruction). If you look at the color of the font in all the Live and blind tabs (blind spreadsheet esp cially helpful!): Tracking will affect parameters in higher cues written in magenta font, but will leave alone all other colors).