Mac OSX microphone input volume level auto-adjusts - can it be disabled?

I've found this issue and various discussions online about this, but no obvious "just do this", so I'm wandering over here from ServerFault to ask this. Is there a way to disable or hard-set the input level on a mic? In the Sound preferences on the Input tab if I click on the device and set a level and then start talking it picks up the sound and then start to auto-adjust the mic input level. This causes issues when talking with someone on Lync/Skype/etc because one minute the sound is fine and then if you raise your voice for a second and then lower it back down (or shift around in your chair) the auto-adjust causes the other party to think your whispering or yelling. I'd like to be able to disable the auto-adjust if possible. Yes/No? NOTE: The issue is *similar* this one: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/95688/imac-osx-10-8-4-volume-adjusts-by-itself but rather on the input side and not the output side for me.