Forming machines and their subsystems, e.g., the drawing cushion in sheet metal-forming machines, pose high power as well as precision requirements in both the positioning and the force, which are directly linked to the quality of the produced part. In addition to ensuring quality, energy efficiency becomes increasingly important. The first step towards energy efficiency is utilizing direct drives, which reduce the energy consumed by the machine significantly, compared to valve-controlled applications. Additional potential for energy loss reduction lies in the implementation of a direct drive unit with the two control variables, motor speed and displacement volume. The control variable distribution results in an influence on the dynamics of the system. This influence is studied in this paper.