very helpful. thank you!

Are you putting the effect on it's own buss , like where the master buss is, the buss pane. It seems you are saying you are putting it in the track effects bin? 
 
Chuck with hardware effects for sure you would never run 100%, but with our routing in Sonar if you don't then you are adding dry signal back to the output so that is not a good idea. You run 100% wet to optimise the effects buss. Otherwise you will increase the level. 

FX from sends on their own FX Buss on 100%wet for me, in Sonar and in the past, on Hardware. 
 
Post fader so the fx level is proportionate to the dry signal.
 

Adding A Send will increase the db in the mix
:Below does not include the many different ways you can use a send , below is just a basic understanding :
1) With a drum sample on loop > master is 0db
PRE
2) If you add a Pre Send from track 1 to aux 1 > the master will become 6db ( increase of 6db )
### if you choose to compensate you need to turn the track level down -6b  + either the send level or destination track fader for the mix to become 0db again .
Now taking into account you just did ### and now you add a second pre send from track 1 to aux 4 the mix will increase 6db again however this time to bring the mix to 0db you need to turn the track 1 fader down an additional -3.5db ( so track 1 fader is now -9.5db) and both pre send levels or destination track faders ( aux 1 + 4) to -9.5db total.
NOTE:this amount continues to change and is not the same  as you add more sends to a track .
example when adding that second pre send if you minus the send level back -6b you will see the mix has increased by 3.5db , which is why to bring the mix back to 0db 3 faders need to be pulled back -9.5db total.
 
pre send 1 adds 6db
pre send 2 adds 3.5db
pre send 3 adds 1.9db
this is taking into account your pulling each one back as your adding them > and those values change less rapidly from there
 
POST
3) If you add a post send from track 2 to aux 2> the master will increase 6db
*** if you choose to compensate you need to turn the" track level down Only" -6b  for the mix to become 0db again .
now taking into account you just did *** and now  you add a second post send from track 2 to aux 3 > the master will increase 3.5 db > to compensate you can either turn the track fader down -3.5 db ( so now the track fader sits at -9.5db ) or ( depending on how you use these 2 sends ) leave track 2 fader at -6db and turn both post sends levels or destination track faders down -6db . Either one will bring the mix back to 0db.
:this amount continues to change as you add more sends to a track .
 
Hope this helps
 
Does anyone know if there's a way to change multiple send levels at once ??